Student Housing Supply to Hit 144,300 Beds by 2027

The benchmarks reveal that 1,045 beds are expected to be completed this year, with an additional 11,200 beds to be constructed between 2025 and 2027.

There are currently around 39,000 beds in the pipeline.

The new data comes as the Australian Government recently announced that public universities will be able to grow their international student numbers in 2026 if they can demonstrate the delivery of additional student accommodation.

This is alongside a 25,000-place increase to the National Planning Level for international students, lifting the 2026 allocation to 295,000, up from 270,000 in 2025.

Victoria surpasses New South Wales in the number of future beds, but most supply remains in the approval stage.

Australia has around 6.7 full-time On-Campus University Students per PBSA Bed. ACT has the highest provision at 2.7, while WA has the lowest provision at 9.2.

Attributable to Student Accommodation Council Executive Director Torie Brown:

"With the election behind us, investors in student accommodation are looking at Australia with confidence again.

"A strong wave of new supply is set to go live in the coming years, with the number of student beds estimated to reach 144,300 by 2027.

"With the ability of universities to grow their international student intake now linked to providing accommodation, this strong pipeline should give the university sector confidence that it can partner with the private student accommodation sector.

"The private sector has the scale, expertise and experience to deliver high-quality housing that supports both international and domestic students.

"Supply is largely focused on the traditionally bigger markets on the east coast, though Western Australia is gaining momentum with new supply on the horizon.

"Victoria has more beds in the pipeline, but the bulk of this is yet to begin construction. New South Wales, by comparison, shows a steadier pipeline, with developments progressing across multiple stages.

"Victoria's numbers may look good on paper, but the state's prohibitive tax regime means many of these approved projects are yet to begin construction.

"Without reform to Victoria's land tax – much higher than any other state – it risks falling behind in attracting new investment and housing supply for students.

"We need governments to treat PBSA as an asset class of priority and make it easier for projects to get out of the ground."

PBSA Supply by state/territory

Full Time On-Campus University Students per PBSA Bed