International ranking takes education, quality of life into account
Jacqueline Perlin
Assistant News Editor
@jackieperlin
Toronto was recently voted number 26 out of 50 for being one of the best cities to live in by QS World Universities Rankings, which ranks universities on an international scale based on several categories.
While Paris, London, and Boston took the top three spots, students at York seemed to agree that Toronto fits right in the middle of the list.
“I don’t doubt that there’s better, but there are cities that are much worse,” says Adam Strazds, a second-year English and history major. He adds that Toronto’s transit system is one of only a few that runs 24 hours—a convenience enjoyed by many students on late nights.
Ruth Levin, a third-year dance student, says that while Toronto is one of the most costly cities to live in with rent and transit fees, the city’s quality of life is high in that it is always vibrant.
“There’s a ton going on. Whatever you’re interested in, you can find a community,” she says.
Levin also points out that an undergraduate education in Toronto is fairly affordable, especially when compared to the United States.
Ben Sowter, the head of the QS Intelligence Unit, supported this notion in the press release, saying that Canadian cities’ high quality of living and affordable education make it a popular destination for international students.
“Canadian cities do very well in quality of living indicators, are home to world-leading institutions with natural provision of courses in English, and are considerably more affordable than alternate destinations south of the border,” he says.
