Affordable living: BNU student halls are ‘best-value’ in Southeast
BNU has been recognised as offering the most affordable student accommodation in Southeast England.
With average weekly rents of just £149 - well below the UK average of £192 - BNU's halls have been named the region’s ‘best-value’ option in a new report by banking group Monzo.
The university has campus accommodation across High Wycombe with three self-catering halls of residence: Hughenden Student Village, Windsor House and the cheapest, Brook Street Halls, which offers rooms from £99 per week.
The Monzo research highlights the financial pressures many students face. The Southeast is the second most expensive region for accommodation outside London, with average rents of £181 per week. Many students feel overwhelmed by living costs, with nearly a third avoiding halls due to high rents, and 43% taking on part-time work during term. More than a quarter admitted relying on the bank of mum and dad, and 8% moved back home.
BNU's Accommodation Manager Javier Alonso knows that affordability and comfort matter enormously to our students in making the most of university life.
“It’s encouraging to see the work we all do to help students manage budgets be recognised in this way. Offering the most affordable halls in the region, alongside the Big Deal, means we’re continuing to support students where it matters. It’s a real boost to the overall BNU offer and a reflection of our shared commitment to making university life more accessible by putting students first.”
Did you know?
The Monzo analysis revealed:
- The average room costs £280.80 per week in London, compared to £169.83 outside London. That mean that London students pay 65% more for accommodation - but they only get 30% more in loans.
- The average weekly cost of university halls across the UK is £190.02, equivalent to £768.08 per month on a standard 4-week student contract.
- The top five most expensive university halls are all in London, at Regent’s University (with an average weekly cost of £503.75) the Health Sciences University London (£482.50); the University of London (£388.59) and Richmond American University (£385).
- Across the UK, the cheapest accommodation is in Yorkshire at The University of Bradford, with an average cost of £97.75 a week. Other affordable options are at the University of Wolverhampton (£110), the University of the West of Scotland (£111) and the University of Sunderland (£118).
You can read the full report here.
- Monzo's accommodation analysis was taken from 144 universities across the UK, with a survey of 1,000 UK students and recent graduates.
With the BNU Accommodation team starting to accept applications to our halls of residence later this week, did you know, as a new student joining BNU in September 2026, you will be guaranteed a place in one of our High Wycombe halls if you make your accommodation application before 31 August 2026. Get in touch with our accommodation team to find out more by calling 01494 603063 or emailing accommodation@bnu.ac.uk
