The Dutch cities of Amsterdam, Groningen and Utrecht have been included in a ranking of the 30 best cities for students in the world. The three Dutch cities were generally well-liked by students but drew complaints when it came to living costs.

Cities for students, ranked by students

A recent study has revealed the best cities in the world for students to attend university. The study, which was undertaken by The Campus Advisor, was entirely based on student reviews. Respondents were asked to give the city they lived in while attending university a score out of five in six different categories: Student Friendliness, Cost of Living, Nightlife, Public Transport, Amenities and Safety.

The Campus Advisor analysed over 12.000 reviews and subsequently ranked the top 30 student cities in the world.

The best cities to study in the Netherlands

Three Dutch cities made it into the ranking of the top 30 student cities in the world: Amsterdam, Groningen and Utrecht.

Amsterdam

With an average score of 4.07 out of 5, Amsterdam ranks as the third-best Dutch city for students, the 16th best European city, and the 28th best worldwide. Amsterdam scored highly across the board, with respondents particularly happy with its nightlife and student friendliness factor, but was ultimately let down by its Cost of Living score (2,62).

Overall, 97,3 percent of respondents said they would recommend living in Amsterdam. The vast majority of respondents also indicated that Amsterdam has a diverse population, with plenty of options for eating and partying, as well as a large number of interesting cultural attractions. "Amsterdam is an amazing city! The best thing about this city is that there is something for everyone. Whether you are really into all kinds of different sports, you love art, you want to try different kinds of cuisines or you love to explore different architectural places, there is something for you,” one review said.

Groningen

Groningen received an average score of 4,20 out of 5, putting it at number 21 in the ranking. This score was enough for Groningen to be ranked as the second-best city for students in the Netherlands, and the 12th best in Europe. Like the Dutch capital, Groningen scored highly in all categories except Cost of Living (3,65) and also received its best scores in the Student Friendliness and Nightlife categories.

Groningen impressed respondents with its large and diverse student population and its good variety of restaurants, bars and clubs, although slightly fewer people were happy with the city’s cultural attractions. Only 70,9 percent of respondents thought that there were enough job opportunities for students in Groningen but, despite this, 100 percent of respondents said they would recommend living in the city.

Respondents were also impressed by the safety of the city. "This is one of the most popular student cities, not without a reason. Society is laid back, includes people from all over the place. Generally speaking, it is a safe environment, it does not have a bad reputation for fights, robberies or discrimination. It has many bars, places to eat and everything is close by," said one respondent during the study.

Utrecht

Utrecht placed 18th in the ranking for the best student cities in the world, boasting a score of 4,24 out of 5. The city was the number one rated student city in the Netherlands, and the 11th highest in Europe. Like its fellow Dutch cities, Utrecht’s average score was brought down by its Cost of Living score (3,00). The city received its highest marks in the Student Friendliness and Public Transport categories.

Utrecht also impressed respondents with its options for dining and partying. "Utrecht is a great city to live in as an international student. It has a huge international community and you have very good chances of getting employment even if you don't speak Dutch. The transportation is top quality and since it is a big city there is a great variety of restaurants, pubs and clubs to choose from, not to mention how beautiful the city centre is," said one respondent.

Utrecht is well-liked amongst its student population, with 100 percent of respondents saying they would recommend the city to others. The study’s participants unanimously agreed that Utrecht had a large student population, although this did not seem to affect student job opportunities as 89,5 percent of respondents said they thought there were enough jobs available to students.

The top 10 student cities in the world

According to The Campus Advisor, the best cities in the world for students are:

1. Melbourne - 4,69
2. Newcastle - 4,53
3. Seoul - 4,52
4. Vienna - 4,46
5. Montreal - 4,44
6. Berlin - 4,42
7. Prague - 4,40
8. Chicago - 4,37
9. Kuala Lumpur - 4,36
10. London - 4,35

Visit The Campus Advisor website for the full ranking and a breakdown of the scores.