Melbourne the fourth-best place to study: ranking

Photo: Aun Ngo

MELBOURNE is the world’s fourth most student-friendly city, according to the QS World University Rankings.

The inaugural ranking put Paris at first place, with London and Boston close behind. Sydney came in at number six, making Australia the only country with two cities in the top ten.

Melbourne scored 95 points out of a possible 100 for quality of living.

RMIT Vice Chancellor Margaret Gardner said she has long known Melbourne to be “one of the world’s most lively, diverse and intellectually dynamic urban centres.”

“Melbourne is a fantastic place to study so it is wonderful to have this officially recognised in the QS Best Student Cities ranking,” she said.

However, the city scored just 28 for affordability.

The Economist Intelligence Unit yesterday updated its quarterly cost of living report which saw Melbourne ranked the eighth most expensive city in the world due to the high Australian dollar.

This isn’t much of a problem for those earning in Australian dollars, but those paying in money earned overseas have seen their buying power shrink as a result.