Three Québec cities are among the 10 best student cities in Canada in 2024 in the latest HelloSafe ranking. The city of Kingston, Ontario, now tops the list, stealing first place from Sherbrooke, which falls to fourth place compared to last year. Montreal is marking time with another solid second place this year, and Vancouver is closing the podium step.

If the city of Ontario has risen to the top overall, it is largely due to “the excellence of its university,” its “very healthy living environment,” and its attractiveness “in terms of employment” to offer opportunities to its graduates,” explains HelloSafe.

Although Kingston concedes first place, Metropolis Québec takes first place in the categories “Academic Excellence” and “Quality of Student Life”. In the first category, Montreal is ahead of Hamilton, Kingston and Vancouver, and in the second ahead of Toronto, Edmonton and again Vancouver.

“Montreal can expect a very diverse academic offering, relatively modest tuition rates nationwide, and its universities rank very highly in MacLean’s 2023 ranking,” said HelloSafe.

All is not lost for Sherbrooke, however. The city of Estrie takes first place in the “Living Environment” category, ahead of Trois-Rivières, Lethbridge and Saguenay. The following criteria are used in this category: housing costs, access to nature, climate and air quality.

Ottawa ranks first in the “Attractiveness” category due to its geographic location “in the heart of a dense and dynamic economic area, at the crossroads of Quebec and Ontario,” its average household income exceeding $100,000, and its location as the capital.

Note that the cities of Quebec and Trois-Rivières are 7th and 18th, respectively, in the HelloSafe ranking. Gatineau (31st), Chicoutimi (36th), Rimouski (40th) and Rouyn-Noranda (41st) complete the ranking.