- New “2026 University City Scorecard” from the Moses Mendelssohn Institute, based on data from the WG-Gesucht.de portal
- Average rent for a room in a shared apartment on the open housing market: 510 euros per month
- The most expensive college towns are Munich, with an average rent of 850 euros; Berlin and Hamburg, at 650; and Cologne, at 640 euros
- In 76 of the 90 university towns surveyed—and for 84% of students—the average rent exceeds the current BAföG flat-rate housing allowance of 380 euros per month.
- Matthias Anbuhl, CEO of the Deutsches Studierendenwerk: “BAföG is lagging behind rent increases; in the medium and long term, the federal-state ‘Junges Wohnen’ program could be a game-changer.”
Berlin, September 19, 2026. The new university town ranking by the Moses Mendelssohn Institute (MMI), which examined rents for a room in a shared apartment on the open housing market in 90 university towns, shows that the nationwide average rent has stabilized at 510 euros per month, with a growing price gap between very expensive and affordable college towns.
Munich remains by far the most expensive college town, with an average rent of 850 euros for a room in a shared apartment, followed by Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne. According to MMI data, the current BAföG housing allowance of 380 euros per month is insufficient in 76 of the 90 university towns surveyed; approximately 84% of all students live in these 76 university towns.
Matthias Anbuhl, CEO of the Deutsches Studierendenwerk, comments on the figures: “The burden of rent costs for students who have to find housing on the open market remains enormous. This was demonstrated just recently by data from the Federal Statistical Office, and now also by the Moses Mendelssohn Institute’s new university city ranking.”
The shortage of affordable housing and rents that have leveled off at a high level remain a glaring structural deficit and pose a social time bomb. We are facing a new form of social selection based on rent. The question of whether I can even afford a room in a shared apartment in an expensive college town—where my dream university is located—should not determine where I study. Otherwise, we are heading toward a scenario in which only the children of wealthy parents will be able to afford to attend college in the attractive, large college towns.
For today’s generation of students, it is painful that the BAföG housing allowance will not be increased until the summer of 2027. It is unacceptable that students receiving BAföG funding will soon have virtually no chance of finding a room in a shared apartment in almost any German college town. But I also see a ray of hope: The federal-state program “Junges Wohnen” (Young Accomodation), launched in 2023 to provide more affordable housing for students and apprentices, has the potential to be a game-changer—if all federal states are convinced and fully on board. Provided there is adequate state funding, student services organizations can use these funds to create new or renovate existing affordable housing for students. States such as Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and, most recently, Lower Saxony are good examples.
The Federal Ministry of Accomodation, Urban Development, and Construction plans to double the federal share of funding for the program next year, from half a billion euros annually to a full billion. That will help tremendously. But we’re in it for the medium and long term. We need to ensure the program’s continuity beyond 2029. Making up for decades of neglect is no short-term sprint. We need at least a decade of construction and renovation. More affordable housing is an immensely important goal, because it benefits everyone: students, universities, cities—and our society as a whole.”
Press release from the Moses Mendelssohn Institute: https://moses-mendelssohn-institut.de/aktuelles/WiSe2026
MMI Media Contact: Prof . Dr. Stefan Brauckmann, 040 375 022 63, Presse-FM@moses-mendelssohn-institut.de
Author: Stefan Grob, Cluster Lead for Communications & International Relations, Press Spokesperson | Deputy to the Chairman of the Board
Deutsches Studierendenwerk e. V.
