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Abstract
We examine the relationship between the percentage of students living on campus and a number of factors, including campus setting, school characteristics, student composition and activities, campus security, off-campus living costs, and crime rates. The results indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between the percentage of students living on campus and campus activities, campus setting and size, campus security, and off-campus small apartment rental rates. We also find that a significant negative relation exists between the percentage of students living on campus and acceptance rate, enrollment, presence of a distance-learning program, population, and crime rates, and monthly off-campus large apartment rental rates. In addition, private schools with large campuses with lower acceptance rates and enrollment, in rural areas with lower crime rates are associated with a higher supply of student housing.
The significant increase in college population in the last decade has led to an increase in student housing demand. In the fall semester of 2011, a record 21.6 million students were enrolled in American postsecondary institutions, with the number of students having increased by over 40% since 2000 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). This increase in college enrollment has been driven by an increase in the college age population and rising enrollment rates. While the 18- to 24-year old population rose by 12.5% during 2000-2010, the percentage of college age population, enrolled in postsecondary institutions, increased from 35.5% to 41.2% during the same period (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012).
Student demand for housing has a significant impact on the decision by a university to build dormitories. The increase in the number of college students, along with the growth in size of higher education institutions have made the provision of student housing a challenge for postsecondary education institutions in the United States and the rest of the Western world (Thomsen and Eikemo, 2010). In 2006, only 30% of students lived on campus (Swibel, 2006). Understanding the driving factors, impacting a student's decision to live on campus and the college's concomitant decision to supply dormitories is important, since campus housing has been shown to have a significant educational role through creating an environment that influences student behavior (Riker and DeCoster, 1971). Campus environment, in which students have a sense of...