Baku ranked among world's top 100 student cities in QS 2026 list

Baku has climbed 22 positions in the QS Best Student Cities 2026 ranking, securing 95th place among the world's top cities for higher education and student life, AzerNEWS reports citing the Azerbaijan's State Agency for Science and Higher Education.

The ranking, published by global higher education analytics organization Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), evaluated 150 cities from around the world.

Baku shares its 95th-place position with Aberdeen in the United Kingdom, Guangzhou in China, and Johannesburg in South Africa.

The latest results also place Baku at the top of the South Caucasus, making it the region's highest-ranked student city. In addition, the Azerbaijani capital outperformed several leading cities in Central Asia, including Astana, which ranked 119th, Bishkek at 137th, and Tashkent at 146th.

The QS Best Student Cities ranking assesses destinations based on their overall attractiveness for higher education and student life. Cities are evaluated using a range of indicators, including the performance of local universities in the QS World University Rankings, graduate employability, safety and quality of living, affordability of tuition and living costs, the number and diversity of international students, and feedback from students who have studied in the city.

The improved ranking reflects Baku's growing appeal as a destination for higher education and its increasing recognition on the global academic stage.