Osaka

QS Best Student Cities ranking

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A newcomer to the 2015 QS Best Student Cities ranking, Osaka this year ranks as the world’s 48th best student city. Japan’s third representative in the index, Osaka rivals fellow entrants Tokyo and Kyoto in cultural offerings, and serves up even more by way of good food, down-to-earth residents and a distinct dialect.

While Osaka may not boast the natural beauty of Kyoto, the city has its own charms in the form of radical architecture, urban style and an incredible nightlife guaranteed to keep things interesting. Parks, museums and gaming parlors can all be found in Osaka, including the wonderfully quaint Open-Air Museum of Old Japanese Farmhouses.

The city gets its highest score in the “desirability” category of the QS Best Student Cities index, due to an incredibly high quality of living, demonstrated by its position as the Economist’s 12^th most livable city in the world, as well its title as the safest city on earth, as rated by Numbeo. Adding to this, Osaka scores exceptionally well for affordability, largely due to the fact that tuition fees average at just US$5,000 per year.

There are three universities in Osaka ranked within the QS World University Rankings 2014/15, with the highest ranked institution in the city, Osaka University, placed at 55^th in the world.

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Sources: QS World University Rankings; Global Liveability Ranking (The Economist’s Intelligence Unit); Big Mac Index (The Economist’s Intelligence Unit); iPad Index (Commsec); Cost of Living Survey (Mercer); Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International).