The 2016 list of “Best Student Cities” was released by TopUniversities.com on Dec. 1, informing students of the top 75 cities with the best amenities to study abroad.

Paris was ranked as No. 1 for the third year in a row, with the remaining top 10 cities being Melbourne, Tokyo, Sydney, London, Singapore, Montreal, Hong Kong, Berlin and Seoul.

Published annually by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the list is compiled by assessing the world’s top cities in five categories: university rankings (the collective performance of a city’s universities), student mix (the student population in the city), employer activity (a broad assessment of quality of life), desirability and affordability, according to TopUniversities.com.

Syracuse University’s abroad program offers eight major centers in Florence, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Santiago, Strasbourg, Wroclaw, Beijing and Hong Kong, according to the SU Abroad website.

“Most U.S. students choose to study abroad in Western Europe, and as a result, our four largest study abroad centers are in Western Europe,” said Jenn Horvath, manager of marketing and communications at SU Abroad. “I think traditionally, SU students want to study in Europe and we offer the biggest variety of courses in London and Florence.”

Though there is not a large SU Abroad Paris program, Horvath said, SU offers a popular abroad program in London, which ranked fifth on the “Best Student Cities” list. Horvath added that SU also offers a popular abroad program in Hong Kong, which ranked No. 8 on the list.

“I can definitely see why London is a top city for students. It’s such a large and diverse place to explore, so I never ran out of things to do or see,” said Meghan Rimol, a senior dual public relations and information technology major at SU who studied abroad in London in the spring 2014 semester.

“It’s really easy to navigate, and with multiple airports and international train stations, it serves as a great base for those looking to travel throughout Europe,” Rimol added.

SU also has world partner programs in more than 50 different cities, including one with the University of New South Wales in Sydney, which ranked No. 4 on the “Best Student Cities” list, according to the SU Abroad website.

Published on December 9, 2015 at 9:34 pm

Contact Maxine: mswillia@syr.edu