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May 2026: Market weathering the challenges
Preleasing for the Yardi 200 schools is estimated at 71.6% in April 2026, 200 basis points above the Yardi Matrix final estimate for March but behind the April levels recorded in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The 7.6% month-over-month preleasing increase in April lagged the 8.6% seen in the first three months of the year. “Operators have cited a more challenging preleasing environment this year compared to prior years due to competition from new supply and weakness in the conventional multifamily sector,” according to a new national report from Yardi Matrix.
A mix of preleasing paces
The preleasing pace varies across the country, with markets such as Virginia Tech, the University of Missouri and Western Carolina University already approaching last year’s final occupancy levels. Meanwhile, the University of Houston, the University of Texas at Arlington and Cornell University are among the markets that are struggling to gain momentum.
Rent growth offers hopeful sign
Student housing rent growth rose 1.2% year-over-year in April, an increase from the 0.8% and 0.4% growth registered in March and February, respectively, and the first time since early 2023 that rent growth accelerated for two consecutive months. This development suggests that “operators are regaining confidence in pricing going into the summer leasing season,” the report notes.
While Auburn University led all large student housing markets with 8.3% rent growth in March, its growth decelerated to 7.6% in April. Rent growth at Nevada-Reno, 6.9% in March, slowed to 6.2% in April, while the University of Kansas saw a decline to 4.9% from 6.1%.
Webinar & report provide more info
A recent Yardi Matrix webinar addressed key student housing issues including enrollment growth, preleasing and rent growth in the upcoming academic year, investment activity and more.
More information about the student housing environment is available in the Yardi Matrix Student Housing National Report for May 2026.
April: Outlook remains cautious as renters show savvy
Early data on indicates that U.S. student housing preleasing as of March 2026 was ahead of last year’s pace, reaching 65.5%. Although this estimate may be revised downward as more data becomes available, it is 340 basis points ahead of the final estimate for 2025.
Rent growth for student housing totaled 0.8% in March, up from 0.4% in February and 0.7% in January, but down from the 2.6% and 6.3% levels reached in March 2025 and March 2024, respectively.
Evolving customer behavior
These trends indicate that preleasing and rent growth “have become more challenging, reflecting a return to long-term average fundamentals.” This challenge reflects “rapidly evolving customer behavior in the AI era, affordability concerns following years of strong rent growth and increased competition from new supply and competitive multifamily,” according to a new national report from Yardi Matrix.
Rent rates follow enrollment, supply
Many markets with strong rent growth this year, such as Auburn University and the University of Nevada-Reno, have benefited from enrollment gains that outpace new supply. Other markets where new development has followed prior year rent gains, including Purdue University and the University of Arizona, saw sharp rent growth in March.
Meanwhile, rates at Baylor University, where rents declined 6.5% in March, have fallen to June 2022 levels, while rents per bed at North Texas University are at the lowest level since August 2023.
Overall, the pricing environment has become more challenging as “residents have become more savvy to strategies that push rate growth early in the season and adjust rates downward later to fill remaining beds.”
Learn more about student housing fundamentals in the Yardi Matrix Student Housing National Report for April 2026.
March: Preleasing rises, rent growth decelerates
Preleasing for the Yardi 200 schools reached an estimated 58.6% in February 2026, exceeding the totals for the previous two Februarys. However, rent growth continued to decelerate over the month, with the $925-per-bed figure representing a year-over-year increase but trailing the January growth rate.
Normalization in progress
A new report from Yardi Matrix notes that despite solid enrollment growth in fall 2025 and relatively modest supply additions, “early indicators for the 2026-2027 academic year point to a normalization in performance following years of record growth.”
Factors driving this normalization include competition from a soft multifamily sector in some metros and a concentration of new deliveries in previously high-growth markets.
Supply drives rent growth & decline
Although rent growth has slowed across most markets, a few posted strong gains in February. The University of Mississippi recorded 10.6% growth, for example, and Oklahoma State University posted 9.8% growth. Other standouts include Auburn University and the University of Kansas.
On the other end of the scale, Purdue University, with more than 2,000 beds under construction and 1,400 completed over the past three years, saw rents decline by 8% in February. The University of Arizona, with consistent development over several years, saw a 6% drop. Other markets whose under-construction projects pushed rents downward include the University of Arkansas and Clemson University.
Learn more about the latest U.S. student housing supply and rent growth trends in the Yardi Matrix Student Housing National Report for March 2026.
