How Private Equity Is Buying Up College Dormitories

The Buyout Show with Fexingo: Private Equity, Roll-Ups, and Business Acquisitions · Jul 1, 2026 · 11m · transcript

Private equity has been snapping up college dormitories at a record pace, turning student housing into a $200 billion asset class. Lucas and Luna break down the numbers: from the 2014 REIT boom that privatized 90,000 beds to the current wave where firms like Blackstone and Harrison Street are spending billions on purpose-built student accommodations. They explore why universities are selling—aging facilities, budget crunches—and what it means for students: rising rents, stricter leases, and the end of the classic cinder-block dorm. A concrete look at how financial engineering meets campus…