When Jadelle Luckman, 21, secured a place at Falmouth University, she hit the accommodation jackpot: an en-suite room in halls, a five-minute walk from campus.
She was thrilled to have landed her first choice through a ballot process where students rank their 10 preferences in order. “I saved a lot of money not having to get public transport,” she recalls.
Luckman’s experience was once a given – but you could be forgiven for worrying that things have changed. In some towns and cities across the UK, there are news reports of a shortage of beds and students scrambling to find a space.
While most first-years are guaranteed university accommodation, securing the type and location you want within a short time window can be difficult. In recent years, some students haven’t been able to live in the city in which they are studying – for example Bristol students housed in Wales, York students in Hull and Manchester students in Liverpool.
That’s not what most students are expecting when they fill in their Ucas form. So what’s going on? And can it be avoided?
In some university locations, accommodation gets snapped up quickly, while in others there is a housing surplus. According to Ucas, you can usually apply for uni accommodation once you’ve accepted an offer to study. While housing isn’t always allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, it helps to apply as soon as you can.
According to Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, the towns and cities most affected by the accommodation shortage are those famous for having big student populations, such as Bristol, Glasgow and Edinburgh. “There are multiple reasons why this is happening,” he says. “One is a greater number of students, both home and international.”
But according to Jonathan Thomas, senior fellow at the Social Market Foundation, the pressure on student housing may be partly alleviated in 2025 because international student numbers are falling. A drop in undergraduate applications by sixth-formers in England and Wales for the second year in a row may also make a difference.
Nevertheless, there has been a reduction in the number of new beds becoming available because prohibitive costs mean fewer blocks are being built. Meanwhile, old accommodation needs renovating and rebuilding and this can take years, and take out hundreds of rooms. In Manchester, for instance, demolition work has begun on a landmark student tower block in Fallowfield, with the 20-storey block closing in 2021.
It’s worth researching what’s available as there are towns and cities where the situation is different. Coventry, for example, has had a surplus of student beds in recent years, which means it’s also cheaper.
London is particularly difficult, partly due to the city’s housing crisis but also the London Plan, which means there are extra rules on developers building student accommodation. This, in combination with good public transport links, means that many students choose to commute from home – there are more in the capital than anywhere else, so you won’t feel like you’re missing out if you join them.
Accommodation is an important part of the student experience, and a key factor in where you choose to study. As well as availability, you should think about what you want: do you want to be at the heart of campus life, or would you rather stay further out or even at home to save money?
“It really depends on your taste,” says a spokesperson from the charity Student Minds. “Some prefer being on campus to feel like part of a student community and to have the convenience of their learning environment, social space, and living space all being nearby.”
Others like feeling integrated in their city and prefer to explore accommodation off-campus. Living in halls for the first year to make friends, then commuting for years two and three is also an option.
The students’ union will also offer advice. Student Minds says: “They’ll be able to give a more specific insight into the local situation.” If there are concerns about availability, try getting in touch with the university’s accommodation team directly.
Public transport is another factor to consider, as it can bump up your costs if you choose a cheaper room further out, or a university where you have to live off campus. Find out how regular the transport is, how much it costs, and whether travel discounts are available. At Northumbria University, for instance, rooms generally start at about £130 a week including bills, and the city of Newcastle is “easily walkable”, says Leighton Langley, head of accommodation.
Although it’s worth thinking carefully about what’s on offer, there are usually ways to make things work for you, Luckman adds. “If you don’t get your first choice it can be gut-wrenching, but there are waiting lists for people to move over and universities do all they can to help you,” she says.
“Once freshers’ week is done, and you are exploring the area more and going out, you’ll find you meet so many people anyway. There’s something for everyone.”
