Housing now the second-biggest factor in students’ university choices, survey finds
A Studenthaus survey of over 6,000 students finds rent, family support, and a shortage of mid-market student apartments are reshaping where students live and study.
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By Torontoer Staff
Housing affordability and availability have moved to the centre of how students choose where to study, a national survey of more than 6,000 post-secondary students shows. The Studenthaus State of Canadian Student Living 2026 report, released today, ranks housing as the second-most important factor in institutional choice, behind program quality.
The survey finds the average student living away from home pays $1,146 a month in rent, and cost is the top consideration in housing decisions across demographics. Many students rely on family support to make that math work.
What students are paying and who is helping
Nearly 64 per cent of students living away from home describe their housing as affordable, a perception the report links primarily to family contributions rather than market prices. More than two thirds of students who rent receive some help from family, and perceived affordability improves sharply only when family covers at least 75 per cent of housing costs.
A significant share of students remains in the family home for financial reasons. Thirty-four per cent of respondents live with parents or guardians. Of that group, 55 per cent said they would move out before graduating if they could afford to, indicating staying at home is often about necessity, not preference.
Where students are choosing to live
More than half of students currently rent off campus, mainly in houses. Preferences are shifting toward apartment-style living, however, with nearly 70 per cent of students saying they would prefer an apartment, either on or off campus. Only about 27 per cent currently live in an apartment, exposing what Studenthaus calls a mid-market gap in purpose-built student housing.
Interest in purpose-built off-campus student housing is strong, with 59 per cent of students saying they are open to it, especially those already renting off campus.
Preferences: roommates, bathrooms and amenities
Room-sharing preferences lean toward fewer housemates. Forty-two per cent of students prefer just one roommate, 27 per cent would share with two, 19 per cent with three, and 12 per cent with four or more. International students in particular prefer minimal sharing.
Bathroom-sharing thresholds are low. Seventeen per cent would share a bathroom with three or more people, 36 per cent will share with at most one person, 13 per cent would not share at all, and 34 per cent would at most share with two people.
Students prioritise price and predictability over extra features. Fully inclusive rent, which covers furnishings, utilities and internet, costs more but increases satisfaction and the feeling of affordability. International students show a stronger preference for furnished units than domestic students.
- Top in-unit amenities: in-suite laundry, air conditioning, and a full kitchen (a three-way tie).
- Most valued shared amenity: a quiet study lounge, followed by outdoor amenity spaces and a fitness gym.
- Least valued shared features: social event programming, wellness rooms and games rooms.
Cost trade-offs are explicit. If saving $50 a month were on the table, 59 per cent would give up an in-building gym and 85 per cent would forgo a games room. For cost reasons, 86 per cent prefer access to a kitchen rather than paying more than $1,000 a month for a meal plan.
Transport, post-graduation plans and regional differences
Transportation choices vary by city and infrastructure. Only 16 per cent of students own and regularly use a bike nationally. Victoria stands out at 35 per cent, helped by milder weather and bike-friendly infrastructure. Car ownership sits at 28 per cent overall, with city-level extremes such as 59 per cent in Kelowna and 13 per cent in Vancouver.
Proximity to transit or campus shuttle services matters: 57 per cent of students said better transit or closer services would persuade them to stop driving. About a third said nothing would convince them to avoid a personal vehicle.
Students are split on staying in their university city after graduation. Job opportunities and local cost of living are decisive factors shaping whether graduates plan to stay.
What the report recommends
The Studenthaus report urges developers and policymakers to recognise the diversity of student needs and to accelerate funding and policy support for off-campus student housing. Without targeted action, the report warns, housing constraints will continue to influence educational choices and long-term workforce retention in university cities.
Students are not a monolith.
Studenthaus report
Studenthaus conducted the survey between September and December 2025 across 16 cities and 22 post-secondary institutions, including large universities such as UBC, University of Toronto, McGill, University of Alberta and others. The report notes that building more purpose-built student housing in high-pressure markets has become a growing strategy to ease local rental markets and reduce competition between students and non-student renters.
The survey highlights clear demand for reasonably priced, functional apartments that fit student budgets, and it shows that family support, not market affordability, currently underpins many students' housing choices. That gap between preference and supply is shaping students’ daily lives and career prospects.
student housingaffordabilityStudenthausrental marketpost-secondary
