Students are paying more to live in purpose-built student housing at Power 5 athletic conference universities than at Group of 5 schools. Average rent per off-campus bed at a Power 5 school runs about $689 as of August 2019, compared to about $626 at Group of 5 conference schools. The Power 5 conferences are ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC. Group of 5 conferences are AAC, MWC, CUSA, Sun Belt and MAC. Geography likely plays a significant role in these cost rankings as Pac-12 schools are concentrated on the West Coast where student housing beds are among the most expensive in the country. Average Pac-12 rents of $852 per bed are nearly $300 more than the Mid-Atlantic Conference average of $590. Average rents at Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference and American Athletic Conference schools all top $700.
