Washington, DC

QS Best Student Cities ranking: 63rd

It should hardly be a surprise to find Washington DC, the federal capital of the world’s most popular study destination, on a list of the planet’s best student cities. This year Washington DC is ranked as the 60th best student city in the world.

Washington DC’s position as a leading study destination is helped by the five universities based in and close to the city that feature in the QS World University Rankings® 2020. These are led by the University of Maryland, College Park which is ranked 136th in the world, followed by Georgetown University, George Washington University,  Howard University and American University.

And of course, studying in Washington DC means being right at the heart of US history and politics – the White House, Supreme Court and national monuments and memorials are all located here. When not seeking study advice from statues of presidents past, you may enjoy spending time in the pretty and vibrant old port area of Georgetown, seeing an exhibition at one of the 19 museums in the Smithsonian group, or engaging in the traditional local pastime of debating politics over a good meal.

Washington DC’s lifestyle has certainly proved a hit with its students, proven by the city’s 14 place increase in the student view indicator this year. One respondent to our student survey summed up: “It's the capital of the world. Every important person will go there; the internships, museums and events are incredible. But it's also a real place with good culture, fun bars, good food, and pretty parks. I love DC!”

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Internationally ranked universities in Washington DC

More about Washington

To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.