CONTACT US
Share: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn I recommend visiting cushmanwakefield.com to read:%0A%0A {0} %0A%0A {1}

European Student Housing Market Booms, Czech Republic Faces Capacity Shortages

30/09/2025

Student accommodation in the Czech Republic and across Europe is undergoing a major transformation. In the Czech Republic, there are currently over 315,000 university students, including more than 56,000 international students. In Prague, nearly three students compete for every available bed, highlighting a significant shortage of capacity. Analyses by the real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield confirm that demand for student housing far exceeds supply, resulting in rising prices and notable regional disparities.

Europe: A Student Housing Market in Transition

Across Europe, student accommodation has become a central topic in the real estate sector. The market is attracting growing interest from investors, who increasingly see purpose-built student housing as a promising opportunity within the broader living sector. This enthusiasm is driven by several factors: more young people are pursuing higher education, international student mobility is increasing, and demographic shifts are reshaping demand.

At the same time, the supply of student accommodation is struggling to keep up. In many countries, students face competition for available beds, which puts upward pressure on rents and increases the importance of quality and availability. The construction of new facilities has been hampered by recent global events and rising building costs. Despite these challenges, investor confidence remains strong, with expectations that the sector will continue to grow and attract capital.

Czech Republic: Stable Student Numbers, Capacity Shortages, and Regional Differences

Student accommodation in the Czech Republic is becoming an increasingly important issue. More than 315,000 students are currently enrolled at Czech universities, including over 56,000 international students. Although the number of students has increased only slightly in the past five years by an average of 1% per year, regional differences are significant. While Prague is experiencing stable growth, cities such as Brno and Ostrava are still recovering from previous declines. For example, the number of students in Brno fell from over 75,000 in 2010 to approximately 63,000 in 2024.

The supply of accommodation has not kept pace with demand, especially in major cities. Cushman & Wakefield’s analysis shows that the availability of student housing is limited, and prices vary significantly by region and provider type. In 2024, there were 165 facilities providing student accommodation in the Czech Republic, with a total capacity of 67,863 beds. The public sector offers 60,219 beds, while private providers have 7,644 (about 11%). The largest capacities are in Prague (28,067 beds), Brno (13,672), and Olomouc (4,907).

The largest public providers include Charles University (10,829 beds) and the Czech Technical University (7,567 beds). In the private sector, CPI Hotels (1,761 beds) and Karlín Group & International Campus (675 beds) are the leaders. Many of the facilities provided need significant capital investment.

According to Cushman & Wakefield, there are 2.9 students per bed in Prague and 3.5 students per bed in Olomouc, highlighting the limited availability of accommodation, especially in university cities.

Kamila Breen, Head of Research, Cushman & Wakefield: “The Czech student housing market is facing a critical capacity shortage. Universities currently offer fewer than 68,000 beds, while there are over 315,000 students. In Prague, nearly three students compete for a single bed, and similarly unfavorable ratios are reported in other university cities, driving up dormitory prices. However, this situation also presents a major opportunity for investors.”

 

Graph 1: Shortage of beds in major university cities in the Czech Republic

graph, bed, university 

Source: Cushman & Wakefield

 

Student housing prices vary significantly by region and provider type. In Prague, the average price in the public sector is around 6,030 CZK per bed per month, while private sector prices reach up to 12,710 CZK per bed per month. In the regions, prices are lower. Public accommodation averages 4,610 CZK per bed per month, private accommodation 8,790 CZK per bed per month.

 

Graph 2: Average Price in the Selected Cities in the Czech Republic – (CZK per bed per month)

graph, price, student housing, universities 

Source: Cushman & Wakefield

 

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

Student accommodation is a vital part of university life. The availability and quality of housing affect not only student comfort but also the attractiveness of cities and universities. The Czech market faces capacity shortages, rising prices, and regional disparities. At the same time, there is room for new investment, innovation, and the development of high-quality student housing.

Alina Cazachevici, Head of Valuation & Advisory, Hospitality & Alternatives, CEE & SEE: “Student housing represents a strong investment opportunity in the Czech Republic, especially in key cities, due to strong demand and limited supply growth. Part of the current offering is outdated and requires significant capital investment. This creates opportunities for investors to capture the demand for modern, high-quality student accommodation.”


Media Contact

Martina Pavlikova
Martina Pavlíková

Marketing Lead, Czech Republic • Prague

Related News

European Student Housing Market Booms, Czech Republic Faces Capacity Shortages

Student accommodation in the Czech Republic and across Europe is undergoing a major transformation. In the Czech Republic, there are currently over 315,000 university students, including more than 56,000 international students. In Prague, nearly three students compete for every available bed, highlighting a significant shortage of capacity.

30/09/2025

123
In the first half of the year, 16 new brands entered the Czech Republic

Sixteen brands entered the Czech retail market in the first six months of this year. The most common segments were fashion (clothing, footwear, and accessories – 6 brands) and gastronomy (F&B – 5 brands). Fourteen of the new entries opened in Prague, with one in České Budějovice and one in Třebíč.

26/06/2025

AdobeStock_982998512_750x456.jpg
In 2024, demand for industrial halls dropped by a third. What will 2025 bring?

After a record-breaking year in 2023, when nearly 2.96 million sq m of industrial space was in demand1, the industrial market experienced a significant slowdown in 2024.

Martina Pavlíková • 19/06/2025

Czech Mall.jpg
Luxury Retail 2025
Rising Rents and Growing Demand for Leisure Concepts Highlighted in Retail Analysis

Prime rents on Europe’s leading shopping streets, in shopping centres, and retail parks increased on average in 2024.

06/05/2025

Flexing Office thumbnail
Record Growth for Flexible Offices in the Czech Republic: Over 172,500 Square Meters, also Expanding in Regions

Flexible offices in the Czech Republic are experiencing record growth.

23/04/2025

Related Insights

city, cover
Insights

CEE Investment Market Update H1 2025

CEE investment Market Outlook 2025 analyse commercial real estate in Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.
Marie Baláčová • 05/09/2025
Uvodka_CWInsightsOutlook_H2_2025_750x456.png
Video • Economy

What you need to know about commercial real estate market | Outlook H2 2025

Explore our real estate market snapshot, a video overview of the commercial real estate market developments presenting the key trends in real estate investment, logistics, office, retail and hospitality sectors.
Marie Baláčová • 01/09/2025
Czech Republic MarketBeats Teaser Image.jpg
MarketBeat

Czech Republic MarketBeats

MarketBeat reports analyse quarterly Czech Republic commercial property activity across office, retail, industrial and hotel real estate sectors including supply, demand and pricing trends at the market and submarket levels.
Kamila Breen • 28/07/2025
coworking
Research

Coworking and Serviced Offices

Explore the dynamics of the flexible offices in the Czech Republic.
Kamila Breen • 16/04/2025
25009_ European Luxury Retail report 2025_Web Card (SMALL) 750x456px.png
Research

European Luxury Retail

Explore the dynamics of the European luxury retail real estate market.
Sally Bruer • 10/03/2025
office, statistics, laptop
MarketBeat

CEE MarketBeats

Cushman & Wakefield MarketBeat reports analyse quarterly commercial real estate activity in the CEE region (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia) across office, retail, industrial and hospitality real estate sectors.
Marie Baláčová • 17/02/2025
European Retail Logistics
Research

Revolution in Retail Logistics

The retail sector is adapting to new challenges and optimizing logistics for more efficient operations.
28/11/2024
Prague, Czech Republic
Research • Economy

Czech Real Estate Market View

A regular update on the commercial real estate market in Czech Republic.
Marie Baláčová • 27/04/2023

CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?

Get in touch with one of our professionals.
With your permission we and our partners would like to use cookies in order to access and record information and process personal data, such as unique identifiers and standard information sent by a device to ensure our website performs as expected, to develop and improve our products, and for advertising and insight purposes.

Alternatively click on More Options and select your preferences before providing or refusing consent. Some processing of your personal data may not require your consent, but you have a right to object to such processing.

You can change your preferences at any time by returning to this site or clicking on Cookies
MORE OPTIONS
Agree and Close
These cookies ensure that our website performs as expected,for example website traffic load is balanced across our servers to prevent our website from crashing during particularly high usage.
These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced features. These cookies do not gather any information about you that could be used for advertising or remember where you have been on the internet.
These cookies allow us to work with our marketing partners to understand which ads or links you have clicked on before arriving on our website or to help us make our advertising more relevant to you.
Agree All
Reject All
Save settings