Published annually, the QS Best Student Cities index showcases the best urban destinations for international students worldwide, based on a diverse range of indicators grouped into five key categories. These five main categories are: university rankings, affordability, student mix, desirability, and employer activity. To be considered for inclusion, each city must have a population of over 250,000, and be home to at least two universities included in the QS rankings. The rankings were published last week.

Placed at number 9, Berlin is the best ranked German city, while Munich, Germany’s third largest city, has gone up three spots compared to last year’s ranking and this time holds place 11 of the 74 ranked university cities. Berlin and Munich are the only German cities on the QS Best Student Cities Index 2016. The top 10 are:

1 Paris

2 Melbourne

3 Tokyo

4 Sydney

5 London

6 Singapore

7 Montreal

8 Hong Kong

9 Berlin

10 Seoul

The authors of the ranking praised Munich’s "affluence and vibrancy“, as well as its "beer capital of the world" status and the high quality of life, but they also pointed out the higher costs of living compared to Berlin. The city’s universities, Ludwig-Maximilian University (LMU) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are ranked at 29 and 53.

You can find more info on the ranking here.