Bengaluru most affordable city in India for students, shows survey

BENGALURU: A meal costing as little as $2.2 and a one-way ticket on public transport priced at only 43 cents! Low cost of living, combined with less tuition fee, has earned Bengaluru the title of the seventh most affordable student city worldwide and the best in the country, according to the QS Best Student Cities Survey 2019, released by London-based Quacquarelli Symonds.
Debuting on the list, Bengaluru was identified as the 81st best student city worldwide and the best in India. The cities were ranked on various parameters, including number and performance of their universities, hiring activity, affordability, desirability and quality of life, and diversity of student body. Termed “one of the most modern and progressive cities in the country” by QS, Bengaluru’s debut was aided by the presence of the top-ranked Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIMB).

The affordability index is based on tuition fees, Big Mac Index (a well-known index for retail pricing), iPad index (which compares the price of an iPad in different countries, giving an additional insight into local living costs), and cost of living (based on the Mercer Cost of Living Rankings).
“For international students, Bengaluru colleges offer education at affordable tuition fees. Several of our deemed and state universities offer scholarships to international PhD students and have brought down fees for foreigners, which are only slightly higher than that of Indian nationals. Compared to other Indian cities, Bengaluru has a large number of private universities and colleges. Unlike colleges in Delhi, which have sky-high cut-offs, admissions to Bengaluru colleges are easier. It’s also a symbiotic relationship as the number of foreign students is a benchmark in accreditation and ranking process of colleges. Institutions are, therefore, more than happy to welcome them,” explained P Venugopal, regional director, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). ICCR sponsors around 700 students through various scholarship schemes of the Indian government.
Reshma P, an alumna of Mount Carmel College and originally from Madhya Pradesh, thinks though the city’s cost of living is higher than smaller Indian towns, it’s much more affordable than Delhi and Mumbai. “It’s slightly expensive than my native. But it is any day better than other metro cities,” said the 22-year-old, whose brother lives in Delhi. “He pays double the amount for his room rent than what I pay here. And his tuition fee is higher too,” said Reshma. She finds the city safe and says returning to hostel even after midnight is never a problem.
Students also find transportation and housing affordable in Bengaluru. Navni Narang, a 19-year-old student from Dehradun, said the city deserves the student-friendly tag. “Unless you are heading to parties every day, the city is quite affordable. The bus service is also great with good connectivity. AC Volvo buses take us to the airport for just Rs 250 from our college, which is pretty good,” the student from Christ (deemed-to-be university) said.
“There is a rich library culture here and easy access to technology like photo editing studios. These add up to make the city student-friendly,” added Anushka Roy, a 19-year-old student from Christ.
Weather a plus point
The city’s quality education teamed with affordable tuition fees and welcoming local population make it popular among students from outside the state and even the country. Our city offers quality education and a welcoming atmosphere. Fees for students from other countries are also not high in Bengaluru’s educational institutions. The weather is also a plus point