ONLY one in six on-campus university lodgings is affordable for students, research for Generation Rent has found.

The campaign group analysed the prices of 49,161 rooms in 11 campuses across Britain.

Its findings come as experts warned universities are becoming the “preserve of a privileged elite” due to the cost-of-living crisis, a widening post-pandemic attainment gap and Tory rhetoric talking down the value of higher education.

Generation Rent used the widely used definition of “affordable” to mean 55 per cent or less of the total maximum student loan.

Its chief executive Ben Twomey said university “should not be a time mired by money problems and difficulties covering the rent, as too many universities claim to look out for their students’ well-being while raking it in as their landlords. 

“Universities must offer their students enough affordable accommodation so that every person undertaking their degrees and qualifications is able to thrive and to reach their full potential.”