Quebec

QS Best Student Cities ranking: 115th

If you like picturesque and historic cities, you can’t really do much better than Quebec City. Founded in the early 17th century, Quebec is the capital of the province with which it shares its name, and of French-speaking Canada as a whole. Its Old Town, with pretty cobbled streets surrounding the striking Château Frontenac and the only preserved city ramparts in North America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Quebec as a whole is full of historic and architectural interest. In fact, there are 37 National Historic Sites of Canada in Quebec City and its enclaves.

But of course Quebec is not just a giant museum – it’s very much a living and changing city. There’s no shortage of things to do here, in terms of both nightlife and culture, and the city is especially known for its colorful Winter Carnival, lively gay scene, and intimate live music venues.

Quebec has a large and diverse student population in relation to its size, ranking just outside the top 50 for student mix in the QS Best Student Cities 2018. Notable universities in Quebec include Laval University (ranked 416th in the QS World University Rankings® 2020) and the Université du Québec (561-570). The city is also home to the oldest educational institution for women in North America, the Ursuline Convent of Quebec City. Teaching at universities in Quebec City is primarily in French.

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Internationally ranked universities in Quebec

More about Quebec

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