October Starts in June - The Race for Student Housing Has Begun
Poland's academic population has returned to levels not seen in a decade, surpassing 1.32 million students and securing the country sixth place in Europe—behind France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Yet the infrastructure has not kept pace with this renaissance. Public and private student housing combined can accommodate only one in 10 students. According to Cushman & Wakefield, the Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) market faces a profound, structural shortage of supply—and a new generation of students with expectations far higher than those before them. Today, this is one of the most promising segments for institutional capital, and for Poland's largest cities, a vital card in the competition for top talent.
For students starting their studies away from home, choosing a university is only the first step. The next—often equally stressful—is finding somewhere to live. In the country's largest academic centres, competition for accommodation remains intense, linking the question of student housing to rental availability, living costs, accommodation quality, and the broader appeal of academic cities.
One Bed for Every 10 Students
The numbers reveal the scale of the challenge. Across Poland, public dormitories provide space for roughly 112,000 students. Private PBSA facilities—designed and managed specifically for students - add a further 17,300 beds. Together, that totals just over 129,000 beds against a population exceeding 1.32 million students, an average of nearly 10 students for every available place (the precise ratio is 10.2:1).
- 111,950 public beds - covering demand from only 9% of students
- 17,300 private PBSA beds - meeting just 1% of demand
- 10,2:1 student-to-bed ratio - Poland's structural supply gap
- 2,000 PBSA beds under construction, with a further 6,800 planned
Poland is not alone in this shortage. Germany records a similar figure (10.7), while Italy faces an even tighter market at 23.6 students per bed.
"Poland has all the elements that should foster the development of a modern student accommodation market: a large academic population, strong university centres, growing youth mobility, and rising expectations around living standards. What is missing is sufficient supply at scale. We are talking about a market where demand is structural, recurring, and clearly visible in the largest cities, yet the supply of student housing—particularly private—remains small. As a result, a significant share of students turns to the rental market for flats and rooms." - Karolina Furmańska, Residential & Living Sector Manager, Cushman & Wakefield.
"The gap in Poland's student housing market remains significant, even accounting for projects currently under construction. Cushman & Wakefield data shows around 2,000 private dormitory beds are being built, with a further 6,800 planned. Even once completed, the available supply—both public and private—will meet the needs of only around 11% of students." - Vitalii Arkypenko, Research Analyst, Cushman & Wakefield
City Highlights
The supply of private student beds is concentrated in Poland's leading academic hubs, though distribution varies sharply.
City - Private PBSA Beds:
- Kraków More than 5,000
- Warsaw More than 3,100
- Wrocław Around 2,100
- Łódź Around 1,900
- Gdańsk Around 1,800
Significantly, Warsaw—the country's largest academic centre, home to roughly 257,000 students—still has one of the lowest levels of PBSA saturation relative to student numbers, at just 1.2%.
Rental Pricing Trends
Public dormitories remain the most affordable form of student accommodation. Monthly fees for a place in two- and three-person rooms range from 350 to 1,275 PLN, depending on location, standard, and facility type. The lowest average rates sit in Gdańsk (around 570 PLN per month), Łódź (around 635 PLN), and Warsaw (around 680 PLN). The average monthly rent for public dormitories stands at 825 PLN.
In the PBSA segment, rates are higher but frequently all-inclusive, covering utilities, building infrastructure, and additional services. The average price across all room types for the upcoming 2026/2027 academic year is approximately 2,370 PLN per month—a moderate increase of 2.6% year on year. Regional dynamics varied: most cities recorded rises of 1–3%, while Gdańsk exceeded the national average at +10%, followed by Lublin at +5%.
"Public and private dormitories meet different student needs. Public facilities are the most affordable option, but their stock is structurally limited. The private segment attracts students with cost predictability and quality, becoming an important part of a city's modern housing base. As young people's expectations of their living spaces continue to rise, the significance of this model will grow steadily." —Ewa Derlatka-Chilewicz, Head of Research, Cushman & Wakefield
What Today's Students Want
Price remains a key criterion, but students increasingly weigh the comfort of daily life. A Cushman & Wakefield Poland survey of rental tenant preferences, conducted between December 2025 and January 2026, shows that quality of service, location, and accommodation standard matter most to students and pupils.
- 86% named seamless contact with the landlord as very important when choosing a flat or room, compared with 56% across the full sample
- 80% cited good public transport access as crucial, against 46% of all respondents
- 53% rated the standard of the property as very important, versus 34% across the sample
"The survey results show clearly that as student expectations shift, the importance of private dormitories grows. This segment responds to the specific needs of young tenants: a simple, transparent contract, predictable all-in costs, a good location, access to services, and safe, well-designed shared spaces. For many students—particularly international students or those leaving home for the first time—this predictability and everyday comfort is decisive. From an investor's perspective, what matters is that demand in this segment stems from a durable, recurring housing need."
—Ewa Derlatka-Chilewicz, Head of Research, Cushman & Wakefield
The Investor Opportunity
Poland's PBSA market remains relatively young compared with more developed European markets, yet its fundamentals are increasingly clear: a large student population, demand concentrated in the biggest cities, rising educational mobility, and limited public dormitory supply. Quality of projects will also prove decisive, as students increasingly expect spaces that support study, rest, social connection, and everyday convenience.
"Resilient design will be critical in the PBSA sector. Buildings should be energy-efficient, functionally flexible, and user-friendly. This is especially important because we are talking about a young group of tenants for whom comfort, health, and sustainability are an increasingly natural part of choosing where to live. A well-designed private dormitory can address both the bed shortage and the changing expectations of city and home."
—Katarzyna Lipka, Head of Strategic Consulting and ESG Advisory, Cushman & Wakefield
The coming years will determine whether PBSA in Poland remains a segment developing in pockets or becomes one of the key pillars of the living sector. Its potential is most visible in the largest academic centres, but the supply gap also extends to regional cities where students make up a very high share of the population.
"Demand is visible, students' needs are increasingly well-defined, and the supply gap remains very large. This creates space for much closer collaboration between investors, operators, universities, and cities."
—Karolina Furmańska, Residential & Living Sector Manager, Cushman & Wakefield
Download the Full Report
Access Cushman & Wakefield's complete Student Housing Market in Poland Report (2026 edition) for the full data set, city-by-city analysis, rental benchmarks, and investment outlook.
