As The Class Foundation has continued to work with student housing providers across Europe for over a decade, we found the urgent need for data to create a fair and transparent case for the right kind of housing for students. The European Student Living Monitor (referred to as SLM) research was launched with the objective to understand exactly what kind of spaces and amenities really impact students, so that the sector can optimize their portfolios to enhance student experience and success.

The second edition of SLM has gone from strength to strength, increasing its coverage since its pilot by capturing greater response rates per country, totalling 10,935 responses across the key markets.

70% of respondents live in Purpose Built Student Accommodation (referred to as PBSA) and 20% in halls owned and run by universities. Thus, with nearly 10,000 responses from those living in student-specific accommodations, this research provides data-driven evidence on how housing curated for students can play a critical role in shaping their living experience.

One of the key findings regarding student happiness is that it is strongly associated with a combination of well-designed and maintained spaces, an engaging community program, and a location that is well connected to the university campus and host city.

The SLM demonstrates that the student housing sector has taken on a significant societal role by creating vibrant communities and spaces that enhance the student experience.

Though PBSA has come a long way in giving students a home away from home, our data shows that special attention is needed for certain ‘non-traditional’ students. Vulnerable groups reporting comparatively poorer living experiences are those who identify as having a disability, being gender non-conforming, students unable to find the right kind of accommodation suited to their needs, and students with financial worries. These groups struggle more with loneliness and finding a sense of belonging. As a sector, our next step is to empower such students by providing them with the agency of choice and the resources to find the right support.

In this report, you will find through our 4 focus areas—Availability and Choice, Services and Facilities (Engagement for Well-being), Living and Community, and Targeted Support—the following key aspects covered:

Identifying the services and facilities that have the greatest impact on student well-being

Strategies for providing better support to non-traditional students

Insight into the happiness index of students across different housing typologies

Policy recommendations for operators, investors, city leaders

Ultimately, the European Student Living Monitor is a powerful tool demonstrating social impact; the report is for investors and developers to justify certain builds and services provided. Further, SLM stands as an (evolving) blueprint of what constitutes best practices for the next generation of living.