Well, that was 2018 – what a year. The celebrity magazines went wild for Meghan and Harry’s Royal wedding, football fans all over the world rejoiced with the arrival of the World Cup and a plethora of gripping TV series hit our screens. Here at Student.com we had a busy year helping students all over the world find their student accommodation. In fact, we added 250,000 more beds to our marketplace which means that there are now a staggering 1.25 million to choose from across 400 cities. Wowza.
So what did we learn along the way?
Number Crunching
“Look after your pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves” is a well-known phrase in the UK. But it’s not only Brits who are looking to get value for money. In our Global Student Accommodation Indicator Report, we analysed spending on student accommodation across 125 cities. Whilst we don’t know how many students are budgeting for a la carte dining or enduring a diet of tinned baked beans, what we do know is which locations cost the most and least for student accommodation. Here’s what we found*:
- The average weekly spend on student accommodation rent worldwide is approx. $214 USD per week.
- Students in Albacete ($60 USD) spend the least on their accommodation rest, followed by students in Johannesburg ($76 USD) and Singapore ($94 USD).
- Students in Boston ($464 USD) spend the most, followed by New York ($402 USD) and London ($339 USD).
Some cities around the world will be more expensive than others, but we find that students are looking to make sure their accommodation has all the features they need to be comfortable.
Comfort Champions
The perfect comfy bed, spacious room and big windows to let in natural daylight. You would presume that they would be the top requests we receive from students looking to book their student accommodation. Well, you might be surprised to hear about some of the more bespoke requests we received during the year. So hold onto your hats, it’s about to get weird:
- “Can I bring my pet rat from Argentina?”
- “Can you tell me exactly how thick the walls are?”
- “Is there enough space in the room for my grand piano?”
- “I need a room filled with mirrors so I can dance.”
- “I need a room with an ensuite gym.”
Now don’t get us wrong we want students to feel at home, which is why our booking team often goes above and beyond to find locations that meet requests. Even from those who wish to pirouette in their rooms…
Welcoming Wellbeing
Student experience in and out of the lecture hall is of equal importance. Heading into Higher Education can be a big step for some, and pressures such as report deadlines, team presentations and exams can quickly pile up. Having a space – both on campus and in student accommodation – where students can feel comfortable and safe is more important than ever before especially as 94% of universities have seen a sharp increase in the number of students trying to access support services. During 2018 we worked closely in partnership with Student Minds working towards ensuring that help is available to students when they need it. We are only one quarter into the current academic year, with plenty of deadlines and summer exams ahead, so as we start 2019 student wellbeing remains one of our top priorities.
If you are a current or soon-to-be student and looking for your perfect student accommodation, then get in touch by giving us a call on +44 (0) 20 3817 0080 or click here.
*All data sourced from Student.com’s Global Student Accommodation Indicator report and global amounts in US dollars based on exchange rates at the time of booking.