October 2025 Student Housing Trends: Pre-Lease Declines as Rates Rise Across U.S.

Explore highlights from College House's October 2025 report: national pre-leasing down 2.7% YoY while average rates per bed increase 3.3%. Includes regional trends, floor plan insights, and operator-focused context.

U.S. Student Housing Trends: October 2025 Snapshot

The latest College House Month-End Report reveals diverging trends in student housing performance: average rates continue to climb, while national pre-leasing softens compared to this point last year. This directional shift highlights an opportunity for operators and investors to recalibrate strategy with data-informed precision.

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Key Insights at a Glance:

  • Pre-Lease Rate (National): 26.2% (↓ 2.7% YoY)

  • Average Rate per Bed (National): $1,023 (↑ 3.3% YoY)

  • Top Pre-Lease Region: Southeast (30.9%)

  • Top Rate Region: Northeast ($1,271 per bed)

  • Fastest Rate Growth by Floor Plan: 6-Bed Units (↑ 9.7%)

Regional Pre-Lease Performance

The Southeast leads with a 30.9% pre-lease rate, just ahead of the Midwest at 30.7%. The West experienced the most notable year-over-year change, dropping to 10.2% (-2.7 pts). Northeast and Southwest also trended lower YoY, signaling shifting demand dynamics by region.


Regional Rate Performance

Rates continue to reflect regional disparities. The Northeast remains the highest at $1,271 (↑ 6.5%), while the Southwest holds the lowest average at $963. The West, Southeast, and Midwest remain competitively positioned between those ranges.


Looking Ahead

If current conditions persist into Q1 2026, expect increased focus on:

  • Adjusting leasing strategy based on floor plan-specific demand signals

  • Strengthening outreach in underperforming regions such as the West and Southwest

  • Differentiated shared-unit strategies to maintain competitiveness amid softening demand for premium inventory

     


Dig Deeper: Floor Plan-Level Trends

Want to see how pre-leasing and rate shifts vary by layout? Our full October 2025 Month-End Report includes detailed tables—broken down by floor plan.

College-House-October-2025-Month-End-

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