International Study: Affordability Dilemma

Appealing cities to study in often have a dynamic economy, leading to the highest number of job opportunities. This naturally leads to a higher rate of migration, which puts demand pressure on accommodation and services. Lack of capacity then leads to lower affordability for everyone. Students aiming for good job prospects in the most popular cities must absorb higher expenses while studying, so they have the best chance to enter the local job market first before other graduates and migrants arrive.

The latest edition of the QS Best Student Cities 2025 uses the opinions of international students from around the world to rate study locations on factors including affordability and desirability, along with the activity level of employers. As most international students aim to study in English-first markets, we have filtered the most relevant cities in the list below.

Sydney has climbed from 9th to 6th place in the current rankings but is behind Melbourne for affordability, although both are more affordable than London or New York. Melbourne also scores the highest for its internationally diverse student mix - an attractive factor for students seeking global connections. Auckland has climbed in the rankings due to increasing affordability. However, that drop in the cost of housing is linked to a slow economy, making the job market less attractive compared to nearby Sydney and Melbourne.?

Edinburgh and Montreal rank as the most affordable major English-language cities to live in overall, but both have lower employer activity. This highlights the challenge of weighing up the cost of living while studying costs against future employment opportunities. These factors must be clearly communicated to agents, parents, and students to ensure that undergraduate and postgraduate applicants can find the right fit and have a positive experience.

The financial hardship that can lead students to pause or end their studies early is a lose-lose for all stakeholders. Students who don’t intend to migrate to a large city long term have more affordable regional study options to consider, but these lack the prestige held by big city campuses. Showcasing high-quality study locations which are outside of metro city centres is vital to help distribute international students around a target market country.

Likewise, the individual faculties within a university often have excellent individual rankings far beyond the institution's overall ranking. Promotions for these provide a halo effect for the rest of the campus and help boost enrolment in allied areas.

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This article is from the International Affordability Section of our latest United Media Solution whitepaper ??: "Back To Class, International Education Market Outlook 2025."

Sources:

QS Best Student Cities 2025, June 2024 https://www.topuniversities.com/city-rankings