Ottawa was voted in by students as the best city to study, in a new ranking category as part of QS World University Rankings’ annual list of the top 10 cities to study in the world.
It’s important to remember rankings like this aren’t necessarily reflective of what most students think.
Around 18,000 students took part in the voting process, ranking the top cities based on factors such as affordability, employment opportunities, diversity, tolerance and inclusion, and ease of getting around.
While Ottawa was apparently the clear winner, beating out cities such as Montreal, Boston, and Shanghai, a number of students will probably disagree with Ottawa’s place on the list due to their experience living in the city for many years.
Ottawa received high ratings from students for its nightlife, something that is debatable depending on whether you have studied in other cities or not. For instance, a student who has only studied in Ottawa may think the city’s nightlife is great, without having the knowledge that nightlife in another city is potentially better. This has the effect of skewing the ranking on the basis of how many students respond to the survey from a specific city.
Rankings overall can be very subjective, and one should look at the facts first before taking them seriously.
