Today we have a ranking that will be of interest to CRE professionals working in the student housing sector. From an annual ranking created by QS/Top Universities, here are the Top 10 International Cities for Students in 2015:
10. Seoul, SK
9. Toronto, CAN
8. Montreal, CAN
7. Tokyo, JP
6. Boston, USA
5. Hong Kong
4. Sydney, AU
3. London, UK
2. Melbourne, AU
1. Paris, FR
This ranking comes from a list of 50 student housing markets drawn from 29 different countries. As the QS report explains, the researchers looked at 18 different indicators to assign scores to the cities in question across five general categories:
- University Quality (international ranking)
- Student mix (diversity, student population, etc.)
- Desirability (culture, amenities, locale, etc.)
- Employer activity (jobless rate, industries)
- Affordability
Naturally, different students have different priorities. For some, the quality of their institution will trump its location, while for others, the city’s culture and other offerings will have a greater bearing. To be sure, employment availability within the city is only going to be a factor for those students who think they may reside there post-graduation, or who seek to work while studying for their degree.
In many markets here in the U.S., universities and developers have sought to attract students by creating their own drivers on the real estate front: quality (even luxury!) housing, mixed-use offerings with a healthy selection of attractions, restaurants and retail, and landscaping to beautify the campus and its surroundings are all important strategies employed by universities in their quest for an ever-increasing student population.
