Boston

Boston

QS Staff Writer

Updated July 15, 2025 Updated July 15

QS Best Student Cities ranking

Boston is without doubt one of the world’s best-known academic hubs, and its position is further bolstered by universities located within the Greater Boston area, in the neighboring town of Cambridge. The most famous of these are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University.

In addition to the academic might of MIT and Harvard, Boston is home to six more internationally ranked universities, forming a hub of intellectual endeavor which has earned it the nickname “the Athens of America”.

Thanks in part to the two showstoppers, MIT and Harvard, Boston has a very strong score in the university rankings indicator. Its strongest score, however, is for employer activity, reflecting the strong international reputation of its institutions among graduate employers worldwide.

The city’s weakest score, predictably, is for affordability.

As one of the most historic cities in the US, Boston combines the hustle and bustle of a major metropolis and a happening arts, politics and culture scene, with an abundance of open green space and the stunning fall colors for which Massachusetts and the region of New England are famous.

Meanwhile those who have studied in Boston rate the experience highly. The city comes within the top 10 for student view, with particularly strong ratings for friendliness, ease of getting around, and its arts and cultural offerings.

Would you choose Boston? Tell us why.

Internationally ranked universities in Boston

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Harvard UniversityBoston UniversityTufts UniversityBoston CollegeNortheastern UniversityBrandeis UniversityUniversity of Massachusetts - Boston

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

This article was originally published in November 2014 . It was last updated in July 2025

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