Galway ranked 24th best student city in the world
Galway has been ranked the 24th best student city in the world.
The rankings were published this week by TheCampusAdvisor.com, a global review website that allows users to rate and review their university, academic staff, campus facilities, accommodation, and much more relating to the student experience at university.
Galway was praised by students for its friendly vibes, “plenty of bars, nightclubs and just things in general for students to do”.
However, the cost of living was flagged as a growing problem for students living in the city.
One reviewer said, “the cost of living is quite high in Galway so this would be one of the only but definitely a major downfall. There is a scarcity of houses also but if you can find a good location for a reasonable price then it is definitely worth attending college here.”
Another said, “the cultural environment is absolutely fantastic and there’s also lots of art facilitates around the city. The public transport is sufficient”.
Róisín Nic Lochlainn, president of the students union at NUI Galway agreed that 24th is a fair ranking for Galway.
“I think it’s really student friendly. There’s loads of different things to do, the nightlife I think was a big attraction pre-covid,” she said.
“I’ve met some of my best friends down here that I’ll be friends with for life, and I think a lot of students can say the same”.
When asked what she would improve on in terms of the student experience, Ms Nic Lochlainn said:
“I suppose at the minute, I would say more nightlife for young people. Partly because of Covid, everywhere closed down and we only have one nightclub left and it was a big attraction pre-covid. So, I suppose that and more housing as well, people can’t come here if they don’t have anywhere to live.”
Over the past year, 12,164 students were surveyed about the cities they are living in while attending university.
The survey considered a range of factors including student friendliness, the cost of living, nightlife, public transport, amenities, safety, and the opinions of current students.
Each one was scored out of 5. Galway’s highest scoring factor was student friendliness – scoring 4.64, followed closely by nightlife at 4.62. Overall, Galway scored 4.14 out of 5.
Cork was the only other Irish city to make the top of the rankings at number 22.
The top five best student cities in the world are Melbourne, Newcastle, Seoul, Vienna, and Montreal.
The overall mission of ranking the best student cities in the world is to help future students make a more informed decision about what university would be the best fit for them.
The ranking also highlights the areas which the cities can improve on to give the residents living there a better quality of life.
For more Galway Pulse stories click here.
