Whether you're planning on getting a degree in rocket science or pursuing a career as a fashion designer, Europe has plenty of fantastic educational institutions to choose from.
But the options can be overwhelming – after all, there are great universities everywhere, from the world's oldest university in Bologna to modern technical universities in cities like Nuremberg.
But we can all take a deep breath now that the 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities has been released and we know where the best places to study are on the continent.
The UK's universities of Cambridge and Oxford took first and second place respectively on the list, and fourth and sixth places respectively in the world's top 10 rankings.
Paris-Saclay University comes in third. The French capital is home to a number of universities that rank in the top tier of higher education. PSL University, Sorbonne University and Paris Cité University all feature in the top two. See below for the rest of the universities.
Top 20 European Universities
University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Paris-Saclay, University College London, ETH Zurich, Imperial College London, University of Copenhagen, PSL University, University of Edinburgh, Sorbonne, Karolinska Institutet, University of Munich, Technical University of Munich, University of Heidelberg, University of Manchester, King's College London, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, University of Utrecht, University of Geneva, University of Paris Cité
Too cool
Deciding where to study for the next few years can be a daunting task, but we're here to help: Time Out has run roundups by QS Top Universities on the world's best universities for 2025, the most beautiful campuses on the planet, and the best cities to be a student.
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