Enrollment growth in top U.S. universities is back to where it was in 2017, before the pandemic disrupted the lives of students, staff and faculty. In Fall 2021, student enrollment growth across the top 175 universities tracked by RealPage hit 1%. That rate marks a four-year high and matches the rate seen in 2017, according to RealPage Market Analytics. Throughout the last economic cycle, enrollment growth across the RealPage 175 has hovered around 1.1% per year. The low point for enrollment growth occurred in Fall 2019 at 0.4% and remained low in Fall 2020 at 0.6%, depressed by the pandemic. Student enrollment is the primary demand driver in student housing. This rebound in enrollment will come as welcomed news to developers who will deliver fewer student housing beds in Fall 2022 than any single year since Fall 2010. Less than 27,000 beds are expected to deliver in Fall 2022.
