Student Living Spain 2026

Over the past 18 months, The Class Foundation and its partners have been working to develop a National Action Framework, convening strategic discussions and establishing a unified student housing voice to inform and influence policy. Building on this momentum, the Spanish Forum will be held in the capital city of Madrid, bringing together public and private stakeholders to discuss the state of student living and align local and EU policy with institutional and investor priorities.

Join us for this exclusive forum, featuring curated site tours from the likes of Student Experience, investment and higher education data insights, interactive workshops, and an in-depth exploration of the newly established Spanish PBSA association, hosted by RESA and Yugo.

Spain’s higher education sector is expanding and becoming increasingly international. In 2022/23, the country welcomed approximately 1.5 million students, including a rapidly growing international cohort. Yet this growth is outpacing housing supply. Spain faces a significant and widening shortage of high-quality, accessible student accommodation, with projections indicating that up to 240,000 additional student beds may be required by 2030. This imbalance underscores the urgent need for coordinated action to protect student wellbeing, support academic success, and safeguard Spain’s competitiveness as a global study destination.

In line with this, the forum will be structured around The Class Foundation’s four strategic pillars for student living:

• Availability – expanding the supply of student housing

• Accessibility – improving affordability and inclusion

• Student Experience – enhancing wellbeing, services, and academic success

• Collaboration – strengthening coordination between public and private stakeholders

The programme will feature four data-led insight sessions covering investment, legal and fiscal frameworks, higher education trends, and social impact, alongside an industry workshop and panel discussion where stakeholders will work together to identify shared challenges and co-create solutions. These sessions will be complemented by site tours of best-in-class student residences and curated networking opportunities.

Following the workshop, attendees will be presented with key findings from the 2024 European Student Living Monitor, with a dedicated focus on Spain. Drawing on insights from more than 2,700 student responses, the research highlights Spain as one of the top three countries in Europe for student happiness, while also identifying affordability pressures and uneven housing quality as critical risks — particularly in major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona.

Attendees will also gain a 360° perspective on the Spanish market, including:

• An overview of higher education and internationalisation trends

• An analysis of Spain’s real estate and student housing landscape, highlighting supply gaps, rental pressures, and development constraints

• Insight into the investment and policy conditions shaped by current legal and fiscal frameworks

The programme will conclude with a town hall-style discussion, moderated by Spanish investors and operators, designed to encourage active audience participation. This session will focus on translating insight into action — identifying concrete steps to unlock supply, improve affordability, and foster stronger, long-term public–private collaboration across Spain.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with sector leaders and help shape a shared agenda for the future of student living in Spain.

Purchased tickets are strictly non-refundable. Refunds will only be offered to ticket holders in the event of a cancellation, postponement, or significant change to the programme agenda (e.g. change of theme or location). In the event of a refund being issued, Eventbrite processing fees will not be refunded.

In case of unforeseen circumstances (such as a positive covid test or bereavement), a ticket may be transferred to another individual within the ticket holder's organisation. The value of the unused ticket can also be applied to another one of The Class Foundation's events taking place in 2025.

The Class Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in 2011 with the aim of helping the student living sector to attract and retain the brightest young minds. In promoting this mission, we hope to pave the way to social and economic success for university cities across Europe.

Together with our industry-leading community, we set out to rethink the places where students live, work, and learn. We are focussed on uniting both public and private stakeholders, such as HE institutes, PBSA providers, city and council leaders, and external suppliers to make student accommodation more affordable, accessible, and available in Europe.

For sponsorship enquiries, please reach out to Carolina via [email protected].

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