A new study by Ally Collins from Accommodation For Students asked over 300 students from 99 universities about their uni experience — especially what they thought of their accommodation.
The results showed that private halls were the most popular choice, with 31.2% of students living in them. Right behind were private housing (30.6%), university halls (28.5%), living at home (8.9%), and others (0.9%).
But here’s the twist: even though private halls were the most common choice, they actually had the lowest satisfaction rating for living conditions (despite still gaining a high score of 7.3/10).
How satisfied are students with uni overall?
Overall, students seem pretty happy with their uni experience, giving an average score of 7.6/10.
When you look at satisfaction based on where students live, the pattern is pretty interesting:
- Living at home: 8.0/10
- Private housing: 7.7/10
- University halls: 7.5/10
- Private halls: 7.4/10
So even for general uni life, private halls scrape the bottom again.
Which unis are doing best?
The University of Bristol came out on top with an impressive 9.0/10 for student satisfaction. Students there said they rated it so highly thanks to strong support services, a good sense of community, and enjoying life in the city.
Private halls: lowest satisfaction overall
Even though loads of students choose private halls, they scored the lowest for satisfaction at 7.3/10.
Students mentioned the same issues again and again:
- High rent without good value
- Maintenance problems
- Too much noise
- Lack of community feeling
Basically, not great vibes.
Value for money: private halls perform worst
When students were asked which accommodation gave the best value for money, private halls finished last again. Here’s how students rated each type:
- Living at home: 8.0/10
- Private housing: 6.9/10
- University halls: 6.4/10
- Private halls: 5.7/10
Top cities for value were Liverpool (8.2/10), Chester (7.8/10) and Manchester (7.4/10).
Bottom were Aberdeen (5.2/10), Leicester (5.0/10) and London (4.3/10).
Accommodation condition: private halls fall short again
Students also rated the quality of their accommodation:
- Living at home: 8.4/10
“Everything’s clean and well looked after as it’s my family home.” – Student at University of Leeds
- University halls: 7.6/10
“Maintenance is quick and staff are friendly when something breaks.” – Student at University of Liverpool
- Private housing: 7.1/10
- Private halls: 6.4/10
So across popularity, satisfaction, value for money, and condition, private halls consistently rank at the bottom — even though loads of us end up living there.
