When it comes to building student housing, the stakes for universities and colleges have never been higher. From competing for prospective students and environmental bragging rights to contesting for space on the typical campus, institutions face a fundamentally different landscape than they did when housing previous generations of students. A national sampling of student residential projects and housing data provide some indication of emerging trends. Universities and colleges will increasingly look to the campus edge (even in difficult environments), will challenge themselves to build sustainably (even where budgets are tight), and will partner or compete with private developers in a variety of contexts. These emerging trends are set against the already-established trend that finds students enjoying—and expecting—more luxurious accommodations than were once typical.

Established Trends in Residential Life

Gearing housing to student expectations for a comfortable and engaging environment is an established trend in residential life. From the Los Angeles Times to The Boston Globe, recent articles on deluxe student accommodations catalog the national scope of this trend (Schweitzer 2008; Spurrier 2007). A generation of students has become accustomed to colleges and universities competing for their enrollment with improved housing options (Schweitzer 2005).

John Martin and Mark Allen. 2009. Students in My Backyard: Housing at the Campus Edge and Other Emerging Trends in Residential Development. Planning for Higher Education. 37(2): 34–43.