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National Census of University Student Accommodation Providers 2014 – Media Release

National Census of University Student Accommodation Providers 2014 – Media Release

There were 74,482 purpose built student accommodation places or beds nationally in 2014, of which 50,018 were on-campus, according to a new government and higher education sector funded report National Census of University Student Accommodation Providers 2014.

“This is a timely and comprehensive survey of the Australian university student accommodation sector. It highlights both the diverse range of residential offerings that has developed over the past decade or so, as well as the challenges of providing the most appropriate living and learning communities to meet a great variety of student needs” says Ian Walker, National President of University Colleges Australia, which co-funded and jointly initiated the study.

The report found the purpose built student accommodation sector is now operating under a variety of ownership and management arrangements, with universities or other charities owning and managing about 57 per cent of the places in the sector and commercial entities (a rapidly growing part of the sector) owning and/or managing the other 43 per cent.

“This report charts the enormous growth taking place in the purpose built student accommodation sector. With all these changes and with rising numbers of mobile students, it is an exciting and demanding time for our student housing professionals” says Laura Burge, President of the Australasian Association of College and University Housing Officers, which supported and jointly initiated the study.

The report found Melbourne and Sydney have more purpose built student accommodation beds than all other capital cities combined. There is a committed forward pipeline of in excess of 19,000 new purpose built beds nationally out to 2018.

The report was co-funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training.

Read the Report