Taipei retains 14th place in global student city rankings

London, July 21 (CNA) Taipei ranked 14th in the U.K.-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2027 rankings, matching its highest-ever placement after reaching the same position in the 2026 edition, according to results released Tuesday.

Also among the 150 ranked cities were Hsinchu (74th), Taichung (126th), Taoyuan (131st) and Kaohsiung (134th), with Kaohsiung making its debut in the rankings.

The rankings were based on indicators including university rankings, desirability, affordability, student mix and employer activity.

In a news release, QS noted that Taiwan's ranked cities performed particularly well for affordability, with all placing among the world's top 30.

However, Taiwan's cities lagged in employer activity, which measures how strongly employers associate a city with producing high-quality graduates, the release said.

Taipei ranked highest among Taiwan's cities in that category, placing 48th, followed by Hsinchu (89th), Taichung (143rd), Taoyuan (146th) and Kaohsiung (148th).

QS said the results mirrored those of its World University Rankings 2027, released in June, in which Taiwanese universities performed strongly in the "employment outcomes" indicator but less well in "employer reputation."

Although graduates from Taiwan perform well in the workforce, the global employer survey used to assess employer reputation has yet to fully reflect the standing of the universities they attended, QS said.

The organization also said that Taiwan has shifted from a largely academic approach to internationalization toward a more deliberate strategy of attracting, training and retaining international talent, partly in response to demographic decline and labor shortages.

Globally, Seoul topped the 2027 rankings, followed by Tokyo, London and Melbourne. Munich and Sydney tied for fifth, ahead of Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Zurich.

Taipei ranked 14th, behind Singapore, Beijing and Edinburgh.

According to QS, cities are eligible for inclusion only if they have a population of more than 250,000 and are home to at least two universities listed in the latest QS World University Rankings.