Houston

QS Best Student Cities ranking: 93^rd

The largest city in Texas, Houston is also the fourth-largest US city. As the home of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, it received the moniker ‘Space City’ in 1967. It’s also home to the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world, which is at the forefront of advances in health sciences. Other nicknames for Houston include ‘Bayou City’ and ‘H-Town’, with the latter widely popular and used for entertainment events such as the annual H-Town Blues Festival.

Simultaneously laid-back yet energetic, Houston is home to the most diverse community in Texas, with some of the US’s largest Latino, African American and Asian American populations. The city’s Chinatown and Mahatma Gandhi District (‘Little India’) both showcase Houston’s diversity, and offer a number of eateries and shopping boutiques. In terms of entertainment, the Houston Theater District attracts over two million visitors a year and features the Bayou Place entertainment complex, with multiple theaters, bars and restaurants.

While its skyscraper-heavy skyline may make it look like just another concrete jungle, Houston actually has the largest total area of green space among the top 10 most populous US cities, with over 300 parks.

The city is home to a wide range of prestigious universities as well, including Rice University, which is considered one of the most selective in Texas and is situated near the Houston Museum District, an association of museums, art galleries and cultural centers.

Although not cheap, Houston’s living costs are typically much lower than those found in larger US cities, and Houston enjoyed a 17-place climb in the Student View indicator this year, with students praising the diversity and variety of activities on offer.

Do you currently study in Houston? Share your experience!

Internationally ranked universities in Houston

More about Houston

To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.