REPORT

Our Impact Report

Country Highlights

Explore the Country Highlights section to discover key facts and notable aspects that highlight each country's unique situation

Respondents by countries:

Finland

711

Netherlands

741

Denmark

416

Sweden

534

Ireland

616

Austria

972

Spain

2,703

Italy

372

Germany

752

Iceland

293

United Kingdom

4,819

Belgium

178

Poland

212

Portugal

128

France

315

Other

397

Finland

711

Netherlands

741

Denmark

416

Sweden

534

Ireland

616

Austria

972

Spain

2,703

Italy

372

Germany

752

Iceland

293

United Kingdom

4,819

Belgium

178

Poland

212

Portugal

128

France

315

Other

397

At the Country Level

The research at the country level suggests some powerful findings about accommodation types, services and facilities which have the most positive impact on students.

The findings from Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands are of particular interest as these countries report the most positive impact of living environment on well-being.

The countries where mental health was reported as the best are Germany, Austria and Italy. The countries where respondents felt the greatest impact from their living environment are Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal.

Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal are also the countries where respondents were most likely to recommend their accommodation

Country highlights

Explore country snapshots across Europe. For more in-depth reporting, visit our interactive open-source dashboard

Driving Excellence, Leadership, and Innovation

Since 2011, The Class Foundation has sought to drive the PBSA sector forward by recognising excellence, fostering collaboration, empowering future leaders, and delivering high-quality insight.

The Class has been at the forefront of ensuring better representation of women in the sector, seeking to include women at all levels within the sector in our programmes and on our panels. This was successfully executed in our Class conference 2025, with women making up 50% of our speakers.

Recognising Excellence: Best in Class Awards

The Best in Class Awards spotlight the organisations and initiatives setting new benchmarks for excellence across the sector. By celebrating best practice, the Awards help raise standards and reinforce the value of quality, experience, and impact.

Momentum in numbers:

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100–130 applications annually over the past three years

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Public voting doubling year on year (52.000 votes in 2025), reflecting growing engagement and sector pride

This continued momentum reinforces The Class as an unrivalled and invaluable community to be part of.

Accelerating Innovation: Smart Student Living

Through the Smart Student Living summits, The Class has fostered collaboration in what was previously a fragmented technology and innovation landscape.

By bringing operators, investors, and technology leaders together through workshops, case studies, and panels, Smart Student Living has enabled the sector to collectively address key challenges, including:

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Sustainability and energy efficiency

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Student wellbeing and experience

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Fragmented systems and data integration

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Investment strategies and operational resilience

These forums have created practical, solution-oriented dialogue and accelerated learning across the sector.

Building the Next Generation of PBSA Leaders

The Class Foundation is also committed to nurturing the next generation of PBSA leaders. Through our partner-only Class Community Hubs, we have equipped rising leaders with the space and tools to collaborate, problem-solve, and share insight.

These hubs bring together emerging leaders for structured, decision-making-focused engagement, resulting in:

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Open and honest dialogue across organisations

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Real-time insights into operational and strategic challenges

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A shift from reactive responses to proactive readiness

Key outputs 2025:

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Eight Community Hubs hosted

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Coverage across four core themes: Asset & Investment, HR & People, Community & Operations, and Marketing & Sales

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Over 250 participants engaged

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Join us on our journey

Interested in getting involved or curious to learn more? Please contact our Research Manager, Arunima Dey at arunima@theclassfoundation.com

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