As we wrap up the GSL Index Spring wave (2025 Q2), the data highlights that this academic year, there has been a notable shift in student priorities, with affordability concerns driving changes in student accommodation search priorities and perceptions of value for money.
In the Autumn (2024 Q4) wave, we saw that accommodation continues to play a central role in student decision-making, with 66% rating it as “very important” when choosing where to study – up from 62% the previous year.
However, in the Autumn wave, there was a significant shift in terms of student search priorities, with budget overtaking safety and security as a top search priority. This shift is primarily driven by home students, as safety remains in the top five search priorities for international students (Table 1).
Affordability concerns feature more prominently
This increased focus on budget in the accommodation search reflects wider financial strain. While the number of students saying they are struggling with budgeting has actually decreased slightly, traditional concerns around budgeting are now being eclipsed by more fundamental financial pressures. More students are now reliant on parental support to cover housing costs (rising from 53% in Q4 2023 to 56% in Q4 2024), and a higher proportion say they struggle to make ends meet. This highlights the need to clearly articulate value in the accommodation offer and review affordable housing options.
First impressions continue to count – the lasting impact of moving in
The data reaffirms that the moving-in experience is one of the strongest predictors of satisfaction and retention. Students reporting a “very good” moving-in experience are nearly six times more likely to stay another year than those with a “very bad” one.
Although arrival instructions remain the top driver of satisfaction (Figure 1), their influence is waning – possibly due to improved sector-wide performance. Conversely, the importance of welcome from staff and peers has grown in importance this year. Notably, satisfaction with staff welcome has declined (from 85% to 82%), as has satisfaction with peer welcome (from 70% to 69%), suggesting that these are areas requiring a renewed focus.
Private halls retake the lead in overall satisfaction
Last year, we reported that in Autumn 2023, overall satisfaction levels for private halls dropped slightly, and satisfaction for university halls increased slightly, meaning that briefly, satisfaction levels were the same (79%) for the first time since the introduction of tuition fees in 2012. (Figure 2). However, this academic year, the gap has widened again, with private hall satisfaction rising to 82%, while satisfaction with university halls dropped to 77%.
Private halls now outperform university-managed accommodation across nearly all key drivers: condition, management, communication, and support services. While university halls showed gains in support and communication last year, those improvements have remained stable, and satisfaction with condition, bedroom, and bathroom facilities has declined. This highlights the importance of continual investment in service quality and day-to-day operations in addition to physical infrastructure.
Sustainability enters the value equation
This Spring, we have seen a notable shift with environmental impact now among the top five drivers of value for money (Figure 3), even as overall concern for climate change among students has declined (from 76% in 2022 to 67% in 2025). This suggests that students may view sustainability through a practical lens – green buildings may signal better quality of life, reduced utility bills, and longer-term value for students.
This is not a sudden shift – environmental impact has been slowly climbing up the list of drivers of value for money perceptions for the past few years. However, it is of note that this Spring, environmental impact drives value for money perceptions to the same extent as laundry facilities. This is significant given that laundry facilities have long been a source of tension for students.
However, fewer students now consider environmental impact when searching for accommodation (down from 20% in 2022 to 13% in 2024), suggesting that while it contributes to perceived value, it is not a dealbreaker during the initial decision-making process.
Laundry facilities continue to be the top upgrade request
Laundry remains the most-cited facility students are willing to pay more to improve – a shift that began two years ago when bathrooms lost their top spot. As cost of living pressures increase, we are seeing growing numbers of students are calling for laundry to be included in their rent, or at least partly subsidised. Laundry issues appear to be reaching a tipping point, with the data showing that laundry facilities are not only impacting perceptions around value for money but potentially influencing student retention.
Wellbeing and the social experience show improvement, and a red flag
There is good news on the wellbeing front. The number of students reporting a positive impact of accommodation on their wellbeing has risen to 71% (up 3% from last year), driven by a 3% increase in private halls. Meanwhile, the proportion of students reporting that their accommodation negatively impacts their wellbeing is now in single digits, falling from 12% last year to just 9% this Spring.
Mental health indicators, such as anxiety and depression, have seen modest improvement this Spring. However, finding part-time work is now the second biggest struggle for students. This is significant, given that in 2023, finding work was the eighth-biggest struggle reported by students. This highlights the importance of signposting any available financial support and supporting students to find part-time work.
In terms of students’ social experience, the proportion of students reporting a strong sense of community has grown, but the number of students reporting that they have formed close friendships and enjoy socialising in their accommodation has dropped. This highlights that fostering a sense of community alone is not enough and that promoting opportunities for students to form social connections is essential.
Overall, the picture this Spring is a positive one. With expectations tightening and benchmarks rising, the challenge lies in balancing value, wellbeing, and experience in even more nuanced ways.
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Want to Know More?
GSL and CUBO’s third joint report, Building Connections: the Power of Residence Life in Student Experience, will be launched at the CUBO Summer Conference being held at Northumbria University on 10 & 11 June 2025.
The report draws on the latest GSL Index data from Spring 2025 to explore the current state of student accommodation in the UK and Ireland, examining national trends, key drivers of satisfaction, wellbeing, and the evolving priorities of students across different types of housing.
This year’s report drills down into the GSL Index data to take a closer look at the residence life experience – exploring student engagement with extracurricular activities, the role of specialist accommodation, and the importance of community and belonging. The report provides data-driven insights and practical takeaways for anyone working to enhance the student accommodation experience.
Stay tuned for the link to the report following its release. In the meantime, copies of the first and second joint GSL/CUBO reports can be accessed from the links below:
Closing the Gap: the experience of vulnerable students in student accommodation, GSL & CUBO, 2024.
Future Proof: meeting the diverse needs of international students, GSL & CUBO, 2023.
