QS University Rankings Europe: Student Opinions of the Top Schools

Studying at Edinburgh has been an incredible experience. One of the best aspects is the opportunity for every student to do a year abroad – with so many partner universities worldwide – and it’s great that everyone is still around when I return from my mandatory year abroad, unlike at many other UK universities. There are countless societies and events throughout the year, from music and theatre to student-led initiatives, so there’s always something to get involved in. For my French and Classics degree, there are plenty of contact hours, especially for language learning, which really helps with progress. The lecturers and teachers are friendly and approachable, and the supportive environment makes a challenging programme manageable. Honestly, I couldn’t have picked a better university! My only minor gripe is the Scottish weather, but that’s not a big deal.

I enjoy the English Literature course and I believe the university is prioritizing diversity and inclusivity when they approach their teachings. However, the student satisfaction remains low. I think our student advisors and personal tutors need to be more involved and put more effort into getting to know the students. I’ve only seen my personal tutor twice over the last 4 years.

I’ve had a fantastic time at the University of Edinburgh. I’ve made lifetime friends, experienced great memories, and witnessed considerable progress in my studies. The lectures are entertaining and informative, making the coursework more pleasant and understandable. I am grateful to be a member of such a lovely community. The university provides tremendous chances, from joining clubs to finding internships, and the campus is beautiful. Being here has had a significant good impact on my mental health, and I am grateful for the opportunity to study at such an incredible university.

There is a very high academic level and discussions in seminars are fruitful. There is also a vibrant community and social life, however, being a non-UK student you can find it harder to assimilate. There are fewer contact hours than expected and so as a student the burden falls more on you to seek out professors for advice.

The time I spent studying Social Sciences at King’s College London was extremely transformative and unforgettable as the programme took on an interdisciplinary approach that was new and exciting to me. Due to this, I thoroughly enjoyed classes, especially the ones we were able to pick ourselves, as it meant I could focus on topics that were important to me, such as gender and race. The university is also incredibly well-equipped with resources which always made me feel supported. However, when it came to administrative issues, I felt that it could have been more efficient as there were many delays when resolving issues. Additionally, the university has multiple campuses, some better than others, which made it difficult to travel between campuses and to experience the true community building university experience.

Great location, experience, and accommodation. However, frequent strikes were problematic, and the course material in STEM fields requires more frequent updates. Additionally, the department’s processes need to be streamlined.

As a PhD student in mathematics at Université PSL, I find the university exceptionally inclusive and open-minded. Although PSL functions as an alliance of multiple institutions with relatively loose connections between them, its overall educational approach and curriculum design are excellent. I particularly appreciate the university’s student-friendly environment, notably in terms of internationalization and cross-cultural support, making every student feel welcomed and respected.

The opinion is just based on my personal observation and the time I have already spent at the University as a Master’s student. The teachers are quite qualified, but they do not spend much time delivering the same knowledge to students during lectures, and expect students to have all the background knowledge, which makes students demotivated to attend future classes but at the same time working and doing project works with fellow students increase your learning curve like crazy as it will help us in exploring new opportunities and coming out of the comfort zone.

I am happy that TUM creates a positive and welcoming atmosphere that encourages personal and professional development. They offer a wide range of resources to help students explore different career options and academic paths. However, I find the social dynamics challenging. People seem to strive for a sense of balance (“Equilibrium”) to the point where it becomes difficult to make genuine connections or find like-minded people.

The international office and student union provide exceptional assistance to foreign students like myself, helping with everything from visa applications to finding accommodation. Their dedication to making us feel at home is genuine and heartwarming.

EPFL is an exceptional university that embodies excellence in education and research. With its world-class faculty, collaborative environment, and cutting-edge technology, it empowers students to thrive and innovate. Its commitment to pushing boundaries and tackling global challenges makes EPFL a true pioneer in shaping the future.

There are many EPFL associations for students who would like to do arts, philosophy, sports or have a hands-on experience, I personally worked with the Rocket Team EPFL and Junior Entreprise EPFL as a software engineer.

Each semester you can choose courses that best suits you and in each course several teaching assistants will make sure that students have a good understanding of the course material.

All in all, students are well-supervised, they can do as much activities as they want and it is easy to make new friends.

It is a great university, well ranked worldwide, with a beautiful view on the lac and the Alpes from the campus. The courses and the programs are really interesting, the teachers are smart, but you have to work a lot, specially during the first year of bachelor, which is a kind of selective year.

The campus is driven by the leading class research and innovation mindset. I really liked how you are surrounded by people from a variety of background and this school sets a new standard of quality in education. The cost of the school is funded in large proportion by the Swiss government, making it really affordable for students. I would criticize the quality of the teaching. All professors are researcher, and some of them don’t have an education background at all. It makes it really difficult sometimes to get it through. Thankfully we are surrounded by older students and teaching assistants that can help us.

Come to UCL if you want to learn in an international, buzzing environment and hear lectures from the best of the best. The MSc in Management provided me with solid foundations in economics and business ventures. However, class sizes are big and the degree is expensive.
It is great to be part of the UCL family and you can advance your interests by joining various societies and clubs. Nonetheless, whilst you can access all university locations, the management faculty is in Canary Wharf, a bit further outside of the main campus’ central location. So you won’t experience central London in your day-to-day life.
Overall I would recommend studying at UCL, as you have great professors, an international class and many educational and leisure time opportunities, given that you can afford it.

It goes without saying that UCL is a highly ranked, top 10 global university with outstanding research and academic rigour. What I have personally enjoyed the most during my time here is the intellectual stimulation and the ability to think critically, without anyone forcing certain conclusions. I wish there was more student interaction at the postgraduate level like there is at undergraduate level, and that administration would respond to queries quicker, but all in all, I would recommend this university to anyone in a heartbeat! The professors are highly qualified, empathetic and willing to help.

I am a current UCL undergraduate student entering my second year this September. From my first-year experience, I have found UCL to be a great university overall. One highlight is its convenience, located in the centre of London. Most first-year halls are within walking distance of the Bloomsbury campus, making it accessible for students and much more affordable than commuting. If travelling by underground or bus, there are several tube and bus stops near the campus, which adds to the convenience.

Since I am a home student from a Chinese background and came from a small town in the UK, I have found the diverse learning environment to be eye-opening and refreshing. It is incredible to be in multicultural spaces where I can connect with peers from different backgrounds, which upholds UCL’s reputation as a ‘Global University. ‘ This aspect of diversity has elevated my experience, allowing me to connect more with my Chinese identity.

Moreover, I believe that UCL provides excellent support. Each student is assigned an academic tutor whom we can ask for guidance on our educational work and content. This support helped me in the first term since I was unfamiliar with essay writing at the university level. My academic tutor offered me helpful feedback that I was able to implement. The Academic Writing Centre at UCL is also a great resource for anyone who wants additional support with their assignments.

Overall, my first-year experience has been amazing. I have had many opportunities, support, and enrichment from being in a dynamic learning environment. I recommend UCL to anyone who wants to study in a thriving city with great career prospects and academic support from the university.

It is a very diverse study program. It has a lot of studen associations but also a very serious side wher you learn a lot of things. There are many labs doing super interesting and helpful research. The ideas generated are innovative and a great help for a greater future.

ETH Zurich is a very good university for studying. The lectures they offer are mostly interessting and well organized. However exams are hard and take a lot of studying to pass. The students associations at ETH Zurich are great and make studying at ETH even more interessting. They offer a great oppurtunity to have fun besides academic studying. Even though lectures can be hard it is absolutely worth it.

My experience with the university so far was good. The curriculum is very demanding but people know that beforehand. Students have the ability to participate in a few programs to gather practical experience but they are few. So you get out of the programs without much practical knowledge.

General:
The college system has its pros and cons. I am a fan as it means that you have a close community in the university, however it does mean that there is little to no student union activities (our student union consists of a single room on a floor of a building that I have only visited to collect vinted parcels)
Cambridge itself is a lovely place to live, everything is walkable and green (apart from Girton and Homerton rip), but the night life is a bit lacking (fine if you are a nerd like me). Very much small town vibes.
The standard of academic and pastoral support is very high- you will have opportunities for travel and study beyond that of other universities. And it does have lots of fancy and weird activities which are very fun.

History of Art specific:
Expect around 5 hours of taught (contact) hours a week, which imo is very little and maybe something I should have considered more
Very self directed, essays every week and lots of coursework, means that the degree can be quite anti-social and isolated (I have no other art history student in my year in college)
Accessibility is not the best, but is improving, as well as the diversity of art historical study.
If you struggle with self-directed study and reading a lot this is probably not the place to study this degree for you.

with all that said, I have loved my time here, it is very sheltered and you don’t have to deal with renting and other stresses, so it gives you the space to really delve into your subject.

The university attracts students from all over the world, allowing rich cultural exchange. Additionally, Cambridge provides access to cutting-edge technologies and world-class resources, creating an environment where learning and research become seamless and highly effective.
However, the organisation of academic calendars and schedules could sometimes lack clarity, leading to confusion. Additionally, some professors were less accessible, often leaving teaching responsibilities to teaching assistants. On a more practical note, the limited public transportation options in the city made commuting somewhat inconvenient.

I had a great time at the University of Cambridge. The campus is beautiful and has a welcoming atmosphere. I enjoyed learning there, and the food was exceptional. The only thing I think they need to improve on is the accommodation for students of colour within the colleges.

The academic resources are insane — you have access to so many journals, libraries, and brilliant minds. That said, the pace and pressure can be overwhelming. Tutorials can sometimes feel intimidating, especially if you fall behind. Not much room to coast here — but if you love your subject, it’s worth it.

Studying at Oxford has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. Being surrounded by academics at the top of their field can at times be very intimidating, but there is a great deal of support and desire for all students to fulfil their potential. The city is incredible and the libraries are a dream to study in!

Yes, the workload is intense and more than I had anticipated, but if you manage your time effectively then it is definitely manageable. Equally, forming friendships and having a strong support system around you is vital here, otherwise it can be very isolating and harder to cope with the pressure.

Studying at Oxford is incredible – from the campus, to the resources, to the students attending. What’s more challenging than the coursework however is continuously advocating for yourself and putting yourself out there amidst hundreds of other students doing the same. It’s crucial to develop a strong support network for yourself to cope with the constant pressure of the environment. That being said, it was an exceptional experience, one I will treasure for a life time.

Great resources, great lecturers and lots of skills gained. The campus is in the heart of London and provides great job opportunities in many fields. In addition, there are loads of societies catering to everyone’s interests

Imperial is a world renowned research institution boasting challenging courses where you will learn practical skills and deepen your knowledge. Perfect for students looking for a challenge.
However, I find that your experience at Imperial is entirely course dependent. I am in a department that is has great communication between professors, and between the staff and students, but other courses have notoriously bad communication, which provides an impersonal and dissatisfactory student experience, to the point that some of the courses are under review for poor student satisfaction.
Overall, Imperial is what you make of it. It is a great place, with abounding opportunity, but only for the student that will take the initiative and make the most of the experience.

The methods used to foster insight by the tutors at Imperial College are not only hands on, but also facitlitate memory. My classes were pegged on course materials as well as experiantial learning, where both professors and students shared their perspectives on a variety of topical issues that affected not only life at the college, but also focused on giving solutions to the signiicant challenges that weigh down humanity. Every experience was worthy, and every class built me.