Student-to-bed ratios and supply by city
How the largest UK student cities compare on the student-to-bed ratio, new-bed delivery and projected supply growth.
Across the 20 largest cities the UK student-to-bed ratio averages around 3 students/bed (Savills, 2025). The named markets below carry their own ratios, with the live pipeline shown alongside, so you can read where supply is tightest and where it is moving fastest.
At a glance
- UK average ratio3 students/bed (Savills, 2025)
- Tightest named marketLondon at 3.6 students/bed
- Fastest supply growthGlasgow at 72%
- As at2025
Student-to-bed ratios by city
The student-to-bed ratio shows how many full-time students there are for each PBSA bed: the higher the number, the tighter the supply. The named markets below show the ratio today and where it lands once the live pipeline delivers (Savills, 2025).
| City | Students per bed (now) | After pipeline |
|---|---|---|
| London | 3.6 | 2.9 |
| Bristol | 3.5 | 2.4 |
New-bed delivery by city
New-bed delivery for the 2025/26 cycle, the markets adding the most stock.
| City | New beds 2025/26 |
|---|---|
| London | 3,775 beds |
| Nottingham | 2,593 beds |
| Leeds | 1,979 beds |
| Bristol | 1,304 beds |
| Glasgow | 1,000 beds |
| Coventry | 1,000 beds |
Projected supply growth by city
Where the pipeline will move provision the most over the coming years.
| City | Projected supply growth |
|---|---|
| Glasgow | 72% |
| Bristol | 70% |
| Manchester | 40% |
| Birmingham | 40% |
| Leeds | 38% |
| Nottingham | 35% |
Where rents are growing fastest
Rental growth by region, the income signal behind the supply story.
| Region | Rental growth |
|---|---|
| North West | 8% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 8% |
| South West | 8% |
| West Midlands | 7.5% |
| Wales and Scotland | 7.5% |
| East Midlands | 7% |
| London | 7% |
| East of England | 6.5% |
| South East | 6.5% |
| North East | 6% |
Sources: CBRE (UK Purpose-Built Student Accommodation Index (year to September 2025), Sep 2025); Cushman & Wakefield (UK Student Accommodation Report, 2025); Knight Frank (UK Student Housing / Student Accommodation Outlook 2025/26, 2025); Savills (Spotlight: UK Student Housing, 2025); HESA (Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2023/24, 2023/24); HEPI / Unipol (Accommodation Costs Survey and Ten Cities Rent Survey, 2024); StuRents (PBSA Recent Growth and Potential Pipeline, 2025).
Student-to-bed ratios and supply by city: common questions
Which UK city has the tightest student accommodation supply?
Among the named large markets, London runs at about 3.6 students per bed (Savills, 2025), easing toward 2.9 as its pipeline delivers.
Where is PBSA supply growing fastest?
Glasgow carries the largest projected PBSA supply growth among the named markets at about 72% (Savills, 2025 to 2028).
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