Safest student cities in Europe
By Muntasir • Published Nov 10, 2025 • Updated Sep 27, 2026 • Student Life, Study in Europe, Country & City Guides
The Hague, Munich, Trondheim, Zagreb and Ljubljana top Numbeo's 2025 Safety Index for European cities, all scoring above 78 out of 100. Cities in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and the Nordic countries dominate the top of the list.
🏠 The Hague: safety score 79.5, the highest in Europe
🎓 Munich: score 79.4, also a top-5 QS student city
🎓 Tartu, Groningen and Cluj-Napoca all score above 78, and all host major universities
⏱️ Prague: score 75.5, one of the safest capital cities in Europe
How the safety index works
Numbeo's Safety Index blends crowd-sourced survey answers with reported crime data, on a scale from 0 to 100. A higher score means residents feel safer walking alone, day or night, and report less crime in their area. The index updates as residents submit new responses throughout the year, so scores shift over time.
Safest European cities for students, 2025
Data from Numbeo's 2025 city safety index puts these cities at the top for Europe.
| Rank | City | Country | Safety index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hague | Netherlands | 79.5 |
| 2 | Munich | Germany | 79.4 |
| 3 | Trondheim | Norway | 79.3 |
| 4 | Zagreb | Croatia | 78.6 |
| 5 | Ljubljana | Slovenia | 78.5 |
| 6 | Eindhoven | Netherlands | 78.4 |
| 7 | Bern | Switzerland | 78.4 |
| 8 | Tartu | Estonia | 78.3 |
| 9 | Cluj-Napoca | Romania | 78.1 |
| 10 | Groningen | Netherlands | 78.1 |
| 11 | Tallinn | Estonia | 78.0 |
| 12 | Zurich | Switzerland | 76.7 |
| 13 | Reykjavik | Iceland | 75.8 |
| 14 | Prague | Czechia | 75.5 |
| 15 | Helsinki | Finland | 75.3 |
| 16 | Rijeka | Croatia | 75.4 |
| 17 | Brasov | Romania | 75.1 |
| 18 | Bergen | Norway | 75.1 |
| 19 | Gent | Belgium | 74.9 |
| 20 | Brno | Czechia | 74.8 |
Why student cities dominate this list
Eight of the 20 cities above host large universities: Munich, Eindhoven, Tartu, Groningen, Cluj-Napoca, Zurich, Gent and Brno. University cities tend to score well because they combine reliable public transport, well-lit streets around campus areas, and active links between local police and student unions. The Netherlands places three cities in the top 20, more than any other country.
Eastern and Central European cities also perform strongly. Zagreb, Ljubljana, Tartu, Cluj-Napoca and Brno all outscore Zurich and Reykjavik, despite lower living costs, which shows safety does not track directly with a country's wealth.
What pushes a city's score up or down
Smaller cities and university towns tend to score higher than large capitals, since lower population density means less anonymous public space and shorter commutes. Cities with heavy seasonal tourism, including some capitals not on this list, often score lower than their crime rate alone would suggest, because visitor-focused theft (pickpocketing, scams) drags perceived safety down even where violent crime stays low. A strong public transport network, especially late-night trams or metro service, consistently correlates with higher scores across this list.
Practical safety steps for international students
Save 112, the emergency number that works across the EU, into your phone before you arrive.
Register with your university's international office. Most run a 24-hour safety or welfare line.
Use official night bus or tram routes instead of walking long distances late at night, even in high-scoring cities.
Check your accommodation's neighborhood safety separately. City-wide scores hide differences between districts.
Share your address and class schedule with a flatmate or friend when you settle in.
Check your city's official police non-emergency line and save it alongside 112, for reporting theft or lost documents.
How to use this list
Treat small score differences as noise. A gap of one or two points between two cities does not mean one is meaningfully more dangerous. Use this list alongside your course options, tuition costs and language requirements, not as the only factor in your decision. Several cities here also rank well for affordability and STEM job markets, including Munich, Groningen and Tartu, so a high safety score does not have to come at the cost of other priorities.