USU is a public research institution located in Logan, Utah, with approximately 20,000 students, including 13,800 full-time on-campus students. As the university actively worked to increase enrollment, it recognized the need to ensure that both on-campus and local housing in Logan could adequately meet the demands of its growing student body. To support these goals, USU considered developing new on-campus housing. However, before moving forward, USU wanted a greater understanding of the off-campus market surrounding the Institution, current student preferences, and potential housing demand.
In Spring 2023, Utah State University (USU) engaged Scion Advisory Services (Scion) to conduct a Student Housing Market Study and Demand Analysis and delivery method evaluation (e.g., university-funded versus a public-private partnership). The engagement began with a Scion-facilitated workshop to establish objectives for the project. During the workshop, USU leadership identified the following objectives:
- Understand student housing preferences,
- Evaluate existing and planned housing availability,
- Assess the potential demand for new student housing at USU, and
- Ultimately determine the most appropriate delivery method, should sufficient demand be found.
Scion’s approach included both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. This encompassed an online survey to gauge student preferences and current housing situations, an in-depth off-campus market analysis, and a review of institutional enrollment and occupancy data. Additionally, Scion gathered qualitative data during a campus visit, which included tours of existing campus housing and the off-campus market, interviews with city representatives, as well as several student focus groups and stakeholder meetings.
Based on the findings, Scion concluded that the current development pipeline in the surrounding area, coupled with a trend of decreased enrollment, indicated insufficient demand to proceed with a new student housing project at that time. Instead, Scion recommended that the University focus on enrollment growth initiatives, monitor the absorption of new student housing beds immediately adjacent to the campus, and reassess demand in a few years.