Is your student housing ready for gen z?

From the Baby Boomers to Millennials, every generation brings its own behaviors and preferences to college campuses and higher education institutions have had to adapt to changing times.

Housing officers are on the front line of this phenomenon and will find that today’s incoming student body is no exception. Generation Z, born roughly between 1996 and around 2010, is set to become the fastest-growing generation in both the workplace and the marketplace within the next five years. Today, they’re redefining education expectations across many areas, including student housing.

Evidence indicates that Gen-Z students tend to value higher education and understand the numerous benefits that it has to offer. In fact, it’s likely that a larger percentage of Gen Z will attend and graduate from college than any previous generation, including Millennials. So despite rising competitive challenges, including the increasing popularity of online schools and community colleges among value-minded applicants, many higher education institutions can expect rising applications and enrollments as Gen Z makes its way through high school. Housing officers need to begin preparing now to attract these students, because what they expect from campus housing is drastically different from generations past.

The traits that define this generation are going to dictate changes to both on and off-campus housing facilities and programs. Housing managers and the institutions need to prepare for some major changes to recruit and retain this up-and-coming generation.