Offering campus accommodation to tourists is proving profitable for universities

Katie Mellett

With Leaving Certificate results out on August 25th, attention turns to CAO offers and student accommodation.

For many students, campus accommodation can be an integral part of student life as it cuts down on long commutes and allows students to engage in a social life. Although, it usually works out as the most expensive element of college life.

While colleges around Ireland pocket large incomes from student accommodation, they also maximise their profit from the tourist trade. A growing trend with Irish universities sees them offer their campus accommodation to tourists and study tours during the summer months.

This side venture allows universities to charge for accommodation in busy cities, often featuring shared bathroom and kitchen spaces.

Specifically in Dublin, many universities are renting out their accommodation in the summer months, helping them achieve significant overall profits from the campus sites amid Dublin's housing crisis.

This summer DCU, UCD and Trinity College have been charging similar prices to those of three and four-star hotels in the city.

For example, for two adults to stay for two nights in DCU's campus accommodation, it would range from €278 to €318. The same stay in Trinity College's halls would be priced at €318 to €440.

Likewise, UCD charges €250 for two adults to share a room in their student accommodation for two nights during the summer months.

For the equivalent stay in a Dublin hotel, it is priced at €367 at The Maldron Hotel on Parnell Square, €376 at The Bonnington Hotel in Drumcondra, €278 at The Harcourt Hotel, €381 at The Marlin Hotel and €450 at The Green Hotel on St. Stephen’s Green.

As for term time, UCD charges €6,903 to €10,746 per room during the academic year, while student accommodation on Trinity's campus during term time ranges anywhere from €6,520 to €10,380 per room.  DCU’s campus accommodation ranges from €6,403 to €7,149 per room, during the academic year.

Dublin City University reportedly made €13.4 million last year for their campus student accommodation.

Likewise, Trinity College made €10.64 million in 2022 from rent for their campus accommodation, according to their financial statements.

UCD had an income of over €40 million from their campus accommodation alone in 2022, according to their annual report and financial statements.

Renting out on-campus accommodation during the summer months has proven to be very beneficial for these universities as it allows them to have much higher income and campus accommodation has been popular with tourists as many rooms have been fully booked across the summer months when hotel availability proves to be too costly and hard to find.