There has been a significant shift in campus dynamics: average usage of campus building space fell to 45 percent in fall 2025, a sharp decline from 53 percent one year earlier, according to Occuspace, an occupancy intelligence platform for the built environment, in its 2026 Space Utilization Index for Higher Education.
With most institutions targeting utilization rates of at least 70 percent, the findings highlight a widening gap between physical infrastructure and actual student and faculty needs. As universities collectively face a massive backlog in deferred maintenance, optimizing existing footprints has become a mission-critical strategy for institutional survival.
“We estimate that $79 billion is being spent annually on unused space across higher ed. Our latest data shows a massive opportunity for realigning valuable building spaces with actual needs,” said Nic Halverson, CEO of Occuspace. “Higher ed leaders across the country are facing new challe
