When students are in session at local universities, housing sees a significant boost in prices, to the tune of six out of ten towns across the UK. During the last five years, the higher house prices have outpaced the gains made across their region. There is an obvious parallel to the student population rising and house rices increasing.

Within the last 5 years, the city of Aberdeen has seen the biggest rise in house prices for a university town. There has also been an increase of 34 per cent in house prices in the Northern Ireland city of Coleraine. This increase coincides with the University of Ulster jump in the student population of 30 per cent.

Nitesh Patel, housing economist at Lloyds commented on the difference student population makes, saying: "Growing student numbers have had a big impact in boosting house prices in some university towns where the increase in demand has led to the local market outperforming the rest of the region. However, it’s a very mixed picture for some of UK’s largest university towns that have seen student populations increase significantly without impacting on house prices."

The increase in house prices have prompted some parents to start thinking about a buy to let situation for their child attending university, or a remortgage to help finance a piece of property in a university town, not associated with their children.

Georgina Cox, managing director of Moving Works, elaborated on parents buying property, saying: "I think a lot of parents see it as an investment because not only are they providing accommodation for their children, but there is an opportunity to sell it at a profit when they have finished their studies."