Top Performing Student Housing Campuses Since the Pandemic

This student housing performance cycle, which began in 2020, has already recorded some extreme variations in performance from highest of highs to lowest of lows. Since Fall 2020, several schools have consistently outperformed the national norm for purpose-built student housing pre-leasing and rent growth.

Unsurprisingly, these outperforming schools were generally located in states with fast-growing populations, and tended to be state flagship universities with large enrollments – though not exclusively.

From Fall 2020 to Fall 2024, these 14 schools have outperformed the national average for pre-leasing, usually to stand at or slightly below 100% leased as of August. Additionally, these 14 schools have grown rents at a higher rate than the national average over the last five years among the core 175 universities tracked by RealPage.

Several of these top performing schools are located in quintessential college towns. From Norman, OK and Chapel Hill, NC to West Lafayette, IN and Blacksburg, VA, these are the types of locales that tend to have more limited shadow market (also called student competitive) supply, strengthening demand in the purpose-build student housing sector. Further, these are the types of schools that have large and growing enrollment bases, despite some softness in enrollment nationally.