Almost 6,000 purpose-built student rooms have been completed in Glasgow in the past 10 years, data obtained by the BBC shows. The figures show that since 2015, 20 student blocks have been completed, with the majority located in the city centre. In addition, Glasgow City Council approved planning permission last year for the construction of a further 3,222 student beds – a much higher figure than any in the past decade.
Despite this, the city is struggling to keep up with the rise in demand, with data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) showing the number of students in the city has risen by more than 20,000 in the past decade.
Rents in Scotland’s biggest city have skyrocketed in recent years due to a lack of supply and the council declared a housing emergency in 2023 amid “unprecedented pressures”.
Glasgow University has increased its student population by more than 12,000 since 2015, figures released by HESA show. And Strathclyde University and Glasgow Caledonian University have also increased their student numbers significantly in the past decade, rising by about 3,000 and 5,000 respectively.
At the start of this academic year, a report co-authored by Glasgow University warned that thousands of students were at risk of homelessness after it suggested there was a student housing shortfall of more than 6,000 in the city.
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