Delhi named world’s most affordable student city in QS Best Student Cities 2026

The latest QS Best Student Cities 2026 rankings have crowned Delhi as the most affordable city for students worldwide, a notable boost to its appeal as an education hub.

With a near-perfect affordability score of 96.5/100, Delhi stands out for low living costs and tuition, offering unmatched value compared to traditional international destinations.

Four Indian metros—Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi—appear in the global top 150 student cities. Mumbai leads the group at 98th position (up 15 spots), followed by Delhi at 104th, Bengaluru at 108th, and Chennai at 128th.

All showed improved standings from 2025, reflecting gains in academic environment, employer activity, and cost-effectiveness.

Beyond affordability, Indian cities scored strongly in employer activity, indicating positive industry perceptions of graduates.

Delhi and Mumbai both rank within the global top 50 for this category; Bengaluru jumped 41 spots to 59th, while Chennai improved by 29 places.

The rankings assess 150 global cities across factors like university quality, student diversity, cost, employment, and urban desirability.

While Indian cities excel in affordability and graduate readiness, they lag in global desirability and international student mix, reflecting ongoing challenges in global outreach and infrastructure .

India’s rise in the QS rankings aligns with its National Education Policy 2020 goals focused on internationalization and academic excellence.

Delhi’s dominance in cost metrics and the collective ascent of Indian metros point to growing global competitiveness in higher education.