Student housing is returning to the top of many investors’ wishlists — and with good reason. Resilient demand and constrained supply are expected to sustain rental outperformance in key university cities.

In a white paper on the sector, DWS says undersupply is still a major feature of many European markets, while student influx into higher education establishments is still very much on an upward curve in southern and eastern Europe. Demographic trends are also a supporting factor for student housing. The manager cites figures from Oxford Economics showing that in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain and Poland there will be strong growth in the number of 15- to 24-year-olds seeking a university place over the next decade.

International students are also still attracted to Europe, with many struggling to gain entry to universities in their home countries. In India, for example, competition for university places is so high that the University of Delhi has a lower accept