How much will student accommodation cost after Clearing?

A-Level Results Day can be a stressful and emotional time, particularly if things don’t go quite as you expected. If your results didn’t turn out quite well as you’d hoped (or if they ended up being better than you thought and you want to consider other uni options), going through Clearing allows you to explore new avenues and secure a place at university. 

Luckily, you’ll still have a lot of courses available to you, even if you apply through Clearing. To help you start your Clearing search, we’re breaking down the top ten cities with the most courses available in Clearing, and how much accommodation will cost on average in each of these cities. 

Top 10 cities with Clearing courses available 

According to UCAS data, the cities in the UK which are offering the most courses through Clearing in 2024 are: 

1. Glasgow - 1,071 courses available
2. London - 1,065 courses available 
3. Nottingham - 715 courses available
4. Liverpool - 676 courses available
5. Colchester - 600 courses available 
6. Manchester - 590 courses available
7. Swansea - 560 courses available
8. Edinburgh - 517 courses available
9. Southampton - 516 courses available
10. Leeds - 501 courses available

If you're applying through Clearing and want to make sure you secure a place, looking at universities in these cities is a great place to start!

Glasgow and London both made the top three list last year too, perhaps because of the large number of universities in each city (Glasgow has five universities and London has over forty higher education institutions). Liverpool has slipped from the top spot to fourth - but there are still plenty of courses to explore if you’ve got your heart set on studying there.  

How can I find accommodation after Clearing?

Before accepting a course through Clearing, you should think about where you're going to live while you study. Even if it doesn’t seem it, accommodation is an important factor when choosing the university you'll attend, so make sure to consider it carefully. Remember, that’s where you’ll actually be living!

Many universities try to retain places in their halls for students who are accepted through Clearing. Before looking elsewhere, check with your university to see if they can provide you with affordable housing options in halls. Most universities have a dedicated team for student housing, so you can reach out to them if you’re struggling to find options. You can even ask about accommodation while you're on your Clearing call, although it’s probably a good idea to do this after you’ve secured your place.

However, in some cities, places in halls will already be filled by the time you secure your university place through Clearing. Don’t panic, there are lots of private rental options available to you. You could consider a room in purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). This offers a fairly similar experience to university halls as you'll have your own room in an accommodation block exclusively for students. The only real difference is that your halls will be owned by a private operator, rather than by your university. 

If that doesn't sound right for you, you could rent a shared student house. There will be a lot of other students who have also gone through Clearing and need accommodation, so you should be able to reach out to potential housemates through Facebook groups, online forums, or via your university, even if you don’t yet know anyone going to your new university. 

How much will accommodation cost after Clearing?

As you might have seen in recent news, students have faced challenges with securing housing as demand has begun to outpace supply. This can cause accommodation prices to rise. Before you commit to anything, check that there is still accommodation available in your chosen city at this last-minute stage that is still within your budget.

To help you make your decision, we’ve calculated the average weighted rent across shared houses (HMOs) and purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) in the top ten cities with the highest number of Clearing courses, to work out where the most affordable and expensive options are. In general, the average weighted rent in the top ten cities is between £127.48 per person, per week (pppw) and £271.00pppw. 

[Source: StuRents and UCAS]

Cheapest accommodation in Clearing

If need to prioritise affordable accommodation when applying through Clearing, you should look at Swansea, Liverpool or Southampton. Swansea’s average rated rent for HMO and PBSA is £127.48, with Liverpool coming in just behind at £135.19. Southampton takes the third spit, with an average rental price of £146.61.

Remember, in general, HMOs will be far cheaper than PBSA, so if you’re trying to secure housing on a budget, take a look at this type of accommodation first. 



Most expensive accommodation in Clearing

Unsurprisingly, for a second year in a row, London has the most expensive accommodation out of cities offering courses in Clearing, with average rent costing £271.00pppw. Students looking to apply to universities in Scotland should also consider the price of accommodation when going through Clearing, as Glasgow has an average rental price of £204.09pppw while Edinburgh has an average rental price of £199.45, making them the second and third most expensive universities on this list. 

Find accommodation after Clearing with StuRents

Looking for the perfect student housing? StuRents can help. As the leading student accommodation platform in the UK, we connect student renters to more than 750,000 rooms across the UK. 

Search our platform today and find your perfect student home.