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Toronto is one of the world’s 50 best cities for university students, ranking 26th on the QS Best Student Cities 2012 list.

The inaugural QS list was created by the research specialist behind the annual QS World University Rankings. It evaluates cities based on 12 criteria, including affordability, the reputation of local universities among domestic and international employers, student mix and quality of life.

Three Canadian cities are included among the world’s top 50, with Montreal ranked 10th and Vancouver 31st.

“Canada is one of only five countries with three or more cities in our top 50, signalling it as a key world destination for international students” said Ben Sowter, head of the QS Intelligence Unit. “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.”

Paris leads the list, followed by London, Boston, Melbourne and Vienna. Sydney, Zurich and Berlin are also in the top 10.

Sowter said the rankings should assist students in making better choices about post-secondary education.

“Making an informed higher education decision is about more than just choosing the most prestigious university,” he said. “By taking into account factors such as affordability and employer reputation this ranking gives students a wider comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of different study destinations around the world.”