July 15, 2025 – Baku, Azerbaijan
Baku has made a significant leap in the newly released QS Best Student Cities 2026 ranking, climbing to 117th place among 150 cities worldwide. The list, compiled by UK-based global higher education analysts Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), evaluates cities based on their attractiveness to international students in terms of affordability, quality of life, employability, and student feedback.
The Azerbaijani capital is the only city from the South Caucasus represented in the global list, and it now ranks second in Central Asia, just behind Almaty, Kazakhstan (91st). Other cities from the region include Astana (127th) and Bishkek (138th).
Baku was last included in the rankings in 2023 at 126th position and was absent in 2024 and 2025. Its return and improved position are seen as a reflection of its growing academic environment, improving infrastructure, and relative affordability for foreign students.
The QS rankings consider factors such as environmental quality and safety, cost of living and tuition, proportion of students in the local population, employer activity, and how inclusive and welcoming a city is. It also takes into account the number of universities in each city featured in the QS World University Rankings.
Baku’s rising profile on the international education map aligns with Azerbaijan’s broader push to become a regional hub for higher education and global academic exchange.
