Student accommodation in Australia has nearly doubled in the past decade, driven by a surge in private developers entering the purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector.

The Student Accommodation Benchmarks report reveals there are now 132,700 student accommodation beds nationwide, with over half (53%) owned or managed by the private sector.

Victoria leads with 43,982 beds, followed by New South Wales (34,069), Queensland (23,353), the ACT (10,226), and South Australia (9,133).

Student Accommodation Council Executive Director Torie Brown says there are another 29,500 beds in the pipeline.

Of these, 7,400 are under construction, 14,900 have been approved, and 7,200 are awaiting development approval.

This growth comes as the latest Rental Affordability Index highlights an increasingly unaffordable private rental market, with many students struggling to afford even shared housing.

The rising demand for purpose-built student accommodation reflects both the growing student population and the need for more affordable housing solutions.