QS Best Student Cities ranking: 6th
Montreal has slipped two places in the 2019 edition of the QS Best Student Cities to sixth place. Despite this drop, it continues to be the highest-ranked city in North America.
Montréal is multicultural, multilingual and is widely referred to as Canada’s “cultural capital”. It performs well across five of the six indicators assessed, ranking within the top 50 for all of them except affordability.
Montréal is home to several of Canada's highest-ranking institutions, including McGill University (currently ranked 35th in the world and second in Canada) and the Université de Montréal (137th in the world, fifth in Canada). The city is also a regular contender in lists of the world’s best places to live – and it seems students agree.
While it might no longer be number one overall in the ranking, Montréal is 12 places higher in the student rank indicator than fellow Canadian city, Toronto, and is celebrated by students for its arts and culture, as well as for its friendliness and diversity.
None of this is likely to come as a surprise. As a French-speaking city in a largely English-speaking nation that has experienced mass immigration from across the world, Montréal is known for its multicultural makeup and inclusive ethos.
It’s also renowned for its laidback yet lively lifestyle, attractive boulevards, thriving creative industries, café culture, and eclectic range of arts venues, live performances and nightlife.
What’s your favorite thing about studying in Montréal? Share your experience.
Internationally ranked universities in Montréal
McGill University; Université de Montréal; Concordia University |
More about Montréal
Number of universities ranked by QS |
3 |
Highest-ranked institution |
McGill University (35th in the world) |
Population |
4,099,000 |
Average international fees (at ranked unis) |
US$12,200 |
Desirability rank |
11th |
Employer Activity rank |
22nd |
Affordability rank |
68th |
Student View rank |
2nd |
To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.