Montreal has been named the best university city in the world according to the Australian website Helpful Professor.
The metropolis is ahead of Tokyo, Vancouver, Glasgow and Melbourne in this list and compares 339 cities on seven criteria such as number of universities, cost of living, security, number of international students and freedom.
“[Il y a] the feeling of psychological security, also on the level of freedom, which means that they can speak freely in their courses and in the research projects that they carry out during their studies,” says the Vice-Rector for Human and Organizational Development at UQAM, Louis Baron.
The Montreal International business development agency explains that studying in Montreal means choosing the cheapest city in North America, particularly for rental prices, but also for the cost of living in general, including cultural activities.
“In other cases, we are second or third in the world,” explains President Stéphane Paquet. In short, we are still very high in this type of ranking. But we are always very happy to win first place.
This announcement is music to Mr. Paquet’s ears in terms of the city’s economy.
“Montreal is the best place to develop talent,” he continues. Ultimately, it’s also good for the local economy, for local players looking for talent, and for foreign investors also looking for well-educated talent.”
In 2022 there were 50,000 international students in Montreal.