Overview

• In a dpa survey of North Rhine–Westphalia, Studierendenwerke report thousands still seeking rooms, including Cologne with about 850 places newly assigned versus 2,500 still waiting and Bonn with roughly 3,000 on the list.
• In Aachen and Jülich around 11,000 people are on the dorm waiting list, about 2,000 more than a year ago, while Münster reports 2,200 waiting and Bielefeld notes waits of roughly four semesters for 975 applicants.
• Brandenburg figures show a sharper mismatch, with about 3,300 applications for roughly 800 places across the Studierendenwerk West area and in Potsdam about 2,600 applicants competing for around 580 spots available on October 1.
• Affordable dorm rents contrast with the private market, with average all‑in rates at €262 in the east and €323 in the west of Brandenburg versus private studios in Potsdam often €800–€865, and a study finds typical rents exceed the €380 Bafög housing allowance in most university cities.
• Short‑term stopgaps remain limited as youth hostels offer longer stays and a Frankfurt landlord campaign yielded 104 listings against 2,771 dorm seekers, while Studierendenwerke warn near‑term relief is unlikely and point to new builds such as 423 beds in Potsdam‑Golm expected by the summer semester.