BENGALURU: Bengaluru has topped the QS Best Student Cities 2019 rankings among Indian cities, beating Mumbai which was the topper last year. Bengaluru made its debut on the list at the 81st position, ahead of Mumbai at 85. They are the only Indian cities in the top 100. London was ranked No. 1.
The rankings are based on six indicators - university rankings, student mix, desirability, employer activity, affordability and student view based on a survey of students and recent graduates around the world.
According to the QS website, "Bengaluru is a leading technology exporter, is a hotspot for start-ups, and is home to a number of highly reputed research institutions and universities, including the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Indian Institute of Management- Bangalore (IIMB). It’s one of the most affordable locations in the Best Student Cities index, coming seventh for the affordability indicator thanks to its low cost of living and tuition fees. A meal can cost as little as 150 rupees and a one-way ticket on public transport only costs 30 rupees."
The city ranked 67th in the student view category. Student view is judged based on factors such as tolerance and inclusion, diversity, friendliness, ease of getting around, affordability, nightlife, employment opportunities, arts and culture, the proportion of students who have stayed or would like to stay a year after graduation.
Dr KN Subramanya, principal, RV College of Engineering, believes Bengaluru deserves this title owing to its job opportunities and diversity.
He said, "The advantage in Bengaluru is the employment opportunities with MNCs making it an IT hub and also the ecosystem that makes it a startup hub. Students feel comfortable here as diversity is an advantage for people from different parts of India. We are multilingual as well. When it comes to technical education, engineering colleges have a legacy, for some of them were built in the 1960s. I would not say the city is best in affordability for a student but it is better than places like Mumbai when it comes to accommodation."
According to the National Institute Ranking Framework 2019 report released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, RV College of Engineering, M.S Ramaiah Institute of Technology and International Institute of Information Technology from Bengaluru stood at No. 63, 64 and 65 in the list of 100 best engineering colleges in the country.
Also, the Indian Institute of Management Bengaluru ranked number 1 in the list of 100 best management colleges in the country. As for medical institutions, St. John's Medical College stood 12th in the national list, followed by MS Ramaiah Medical College at 27. National Law School of India University in Bengaluru was ranked the best law college in India. In the overall list, Indian Institute of Science was ranked the No.1 university in the country for offering advanced scientific and technological research and education in India.
Biju Tom, a faculty member at Christ Deemed-to-be University, said, "Students come to Bengaluru for undergraduate and postgraduate courses because we have a high quality of education, internship opportunities and placements. A decade ago, engineering and commerce were the primary attraction for students but of late, science and humanities are on an equal footing. Campuses too are engaging with students keen on add-on courses and skill sets."