Tokyo is the No. 2 choice for international students
The capital has remained in second place since 2024, rating particularly high on 'desirability' and on employer attitudes. It also ranked highly on affordability, the QS ranking released on July 15 showed.
The number of foreign students in Japan has risen by around 21% as of May 2024, with the majority of students coming from China, according to a study by the Japan Student Services Organization. Kyoto, meanwhile, ranked 15th in the survey.
Seoul reached the No. 1 spot for the first time, replacing London. Its improved position was influenced by enhanced perception of low pollution and safety among the respondents surveyed.
QS is a London-based higher education analyst and service provider that offers global rankings scores cities on a variety of factors, including the quality of universities, student-friendliness, overall safety and pollution, employer attitudes toward students, affordability and whether students continue living in the city after graduation.
International students are increasingly flocking to Asia, with affordability being a particularly important metric.
London's decline — the city dropped to third place after having held the top spot for six consecutive rankings — was a byproduct of this.
'London's declining affordability was a significant driver in it losing its top spot,' QS said of the shift, noting that a global rise in the cost of living had led many students to look elsewhere.
For international students paying in yen, U.K. fees are particularly costly.
International undergraduate tuition fees range from £11,400 ($15,388) to £38,000 — about ¥2.26 million to ¥7.52 million — annually according to an estimate from the British Council, while a U.K. student visa costs £524 — around ¥103,570.
A single international student in London can also expect to pay around £1,300 to £1,400 per month for living expenses, the British Council estimates.
While Japan is comparably affordable for international students, a Japan Association of Overseas Studies (JAOS) survey found that Japanese students were increasingly looking to study in Asia, too, influenced by the weak yen and high costs of living overseas.
The number of Japanese students studying in countries in Asia has more than doubled in fiscal 2023 compared to the prepandemic 2019 levels, while North America, Europe and Oceania have not yet exceeded their 2019 figures, according to an April JAOS report.
'This can be attributed to factors such as the depreciation of the yen, high cost of living, leading to a shift towards affordable study abroad options in Asia, and an increase in study abroad programs to Asia by domestic universities,' a representative from JAOS said.
South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan were among the favored choices for Japanese students, the representative added.
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