How We Rate
Every university on Exchasia gets five scores from 1 to 5, one each for Academics, Housing, Social, City and Language & Accessibility. The Overall score is the average of those five, and Value is calculated from the Overall score and what a month there actually costs.
We rate from the perspective of an incoming exchange student, for the one or two semesters you are there. Every score is set by hand and backed by rankings, university sources and student experience reports.
What the Numbers Mean
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 | Outstanding, among the best you can pick in Asia |
| 4 | Strong, clearly above average |
| 3 | Solid, good without standing out |
| 2 | Workable, with real drawbacks |
| 1 | Weak, plan around it |
Academics
The academic standing of the university in the world, anchored to the QS World University Rankings 2026 so a score means the same thing in every country.
| Score | QS World Rank |
|---|---|
| 5 | Top 30 |
| 4 | 31–100 |
| 3 | 101–300 |
| 2 | 301–800, or unranked with a strong reputation at home |
| 1 | Beyond the top 800, with little reputation at home |
A university moves one band up for a documented specialisation in a subject its exchange students actually study, and we name that reason in the profile whenever we apply it.
Housing
How easy and how pleasant it is to live there, counting whether a room is guaranteed, whether it is yours alone, and how spacious, modern and close to campus it is.
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 | A guaranteed single room in good condition at a fair price, so housing is simply not a worry |
| 4 | Reliable dorm access with good odds and decent rooms at fair prices |
| 3 | Standard dorm access with realistic chances, and a workable private market |
| 2 | A dorm exists but the odds are poor, and the fallback market is tight and expensive |
| 1 | No university housing for exchange students, and a private market with real barriers such as guarantors and long minimum leases |
Social
How easily you build a real social life in one semester, through club culture, how open students are to foreigners, how many other internationals are around and how lively the party scene is.
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 | A social identity of its own, built on legendary festivals and rivalries, or on a genuinely international student body |
| 4 | Active and welcoming, and exchange students plug in without much effort |
| 3 | Solid clubs and events, friendly, nothing standout |
| 2 | Campus life works, but a reserved or highly competitive culture means integration takes real effort |
| 1 | Little organised student life for internationals, so you are on your own |
City
The city you actually live in, with its nightlife, bars and clubs, shopping, food, weekend options, safety and public transport. Universities in the same city start from the same score, and a campus far outside the city's student life sits one band below it.
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 | World-class student city with top nightlife, very safe, everything reachable by transit |
| 4 | Vibrant metropolis with minor caveats such as a smaller or pricier scene, or long distances |
| 3 | Major city with strong culture and food, but second-tier nightlife |
| 2 | Big city with a growing but still small student scene |
| 1 | Small city or town with quiet nights and limited transit and options |
Language & Accessibility
How well you get by as a foreigner in class and in daily life, and how much of your semester runs in English.
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 | English is an official language of the country and everything runs in English |
| 4 | English-first or bilingual by design, with a full English track open to exchange students |
| 3 | A dedicated English programme with a real choice of electives, while the local language rules daily life |
| 2 | Few English-taught courses, and the local language is needed outside campus |
| 1 | Minimal English on campus and off it |
Overall
The average of the five scores above, shown with one decimal such as 3.8. All five count equally.
Value
What you get for what you pay, calculated from the Overall score and the Cost score below.
Value = (Overall + Cost) / 2
A strong university in an expensive city lands mid-table, and a good university in an affordable city scores high.
Cost
What a month there costs all in, housing and everyday living together, in the local currency. The bands are fixed per country and set to be equivalent in real terms, so a 4 in Tokyo means the same as a 4 in Seoul.
| Score | Japan (JPY) | South Korea (KRW) | China (CNY) | Singapore (SGD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | up to 120,000 | up to 1,200,000 | up to 6,000 | up to 1,100 |
| 4 | 120,000–170,000 | 1,200,000–1,700,000 | 6,000–8,500 | 1,100–1,600 |
| 3 | 170,000–220,000 | 1,700,000–2,200,000 | 8,500–11,000 | 1,600–2,100 |
| 2 | 220,000–280,000 | 2,200,000–2,900,000 | 11,000–14,500 | 2,100–2,700 |
| 1 | above 280,000 | above 2,900,000 | above 14,500 | above 2,700 |