‘Indian students dominate London varsities’

London was on Wednesday ranked as the top city for students in the world, with Indian students making up the fourthlargest category.

The top student cities in the latest edition of 'QS Best Student Cities Rankings' ranks Tokyo, Melbourne, Montreal and Paris to complete this year's top five based on factors such as the number of top universities in a city, the local jobs market, the diversity of the culture and the quality of life.

In a related study released by the Mayor of London's promotional agency London & Partners (L&P), Indian students are among the dominant group of international students in the city.

In 2016-17, there were 4,545 Indian students in London – accounting for 26 per cent of all Indian students in the UK, L&P said. As the city's fourth-largest student market after China, America and Italy, the average Indian student in London spends 30,100 pounds and contributed 137 million pounds in total spending in London in 2016-17.

"We have more leading universities and international students than any other city and I want to make sure it stays that way," said London Mayor Sadiq Khan. "London is open as the best place to study, do business and innovate and a city where all Londoners can take advantage of these opportunities," he said. International students now make-up 41 per cent of the city's entire student population, up from 34 per cent in 2012-13. Measuring the economic value of London's international students, the L&P study highlights that the city's overseas students are an important source of growth for London and the UK's economy.

In 2016-17, London attracted over 112,000 international students, with the study showing that they contributed 3.45 billion pounds in economic value to the capital – an 11 per cent increase from the previous year.