More undergraduates in England choose to live at home as rental costs rise
New Ucas data shows a marked rise in students planning to live with parents while studying, driven largely by spiralling rental costs. The trend is most pronounced among students from England's poorest neighbourhoods, raising concerns about preparation for adult life.
A record number of school leavers in England will begin university this autumn, but a growing share of them will not be moving away to study. New data from the university admissions service Ucas shows a marked rise in the number of students planning to live at home with their parents rather than relocating for their degree, a shift driven primarily by spiralling rental costs.
The trend is not, for the most part, a voluntary one. The gap between those who choose to stay and those who have no choice is stark: among students from England's poorest neighbourhoods, more than half now expect to live at home while studying, compared with just under a fifth from the least-deprived areas. For many, living with parents has become the only financially viable option.
Rohan Sathyamoorthy, a writer from south-west London, argues that this arrangement fails to prepare students for the realities of adult life. The burden placed on today's students has grown so heavy that it is reshaping the experience of higher education itself, he writes, with rising costs, a regressive loan system and dimming graduate job prospects all contributing to the shift.
Despite the financial pressures, demand for university places remains strong. This September and October, a record number of school leavers will begin their studies, unwilling to let the mounting costs blot out the promise of what are often described as the best years of their lives. Yet the new living arrangements mean that for many, that experience will look very different from the traditional image of university life.
The implications extend beyond the student years. Moving away to study has long been seen as a rite of passage that builds independence, resilience and practical life skills. Living at home, while financially sensible, can delay that transition. The trend also raises broader questions about housing policy, student support and social mobility, as the ability to move away for university becomes increasingly tied to family income.
For students from the most deprived areas, the choice is often not a choice at all. The data highlights a widening divide in who can access the full university experience, with financial constraints now determining not just where students study, but whether they leave home at all. As rental costs continue to climb, the number of students staying with their parents is likely to keep rising, reshaping the landscape of higher education in England for years to come.
