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

Baku has entered the worldchr("39")s top 100 student cities in the 2026 edition of the QS Best Student Cities ranking, climbing 22 places from last year to rank 95th, Azerbaijanchr("39")s State Agency for Science and Higher Education told Olaylar.

The Azerbaijani capital shares the 95th position with Aberdeen in the United Kingdom, Guangzhou in China, and Johannesburg in South Africa.

According to the ranking, Baku achieved the highest position among cities in the South Caucasus, making it the regionchr("39")s leading student city. It also outperformed several major cities in Central Asia, with Astana ranked 119th, Bishkek 137th, and Tashkent 146th.

The QS Best Student Cities ranking evaluates cities based on their overall attractiveness for higher education and student life. The assessment considers the performance of local universities in the QS World University Rankings, graduate employability, safety and living conditions, affordability of education and living costs, the number and diversity of international students, and feedback from students who have studied in the city.