Every year thousands of students look for housing in Slovakia, and 2026 is no exception. Many think it is easy to get a place in a dormitory, but it is not. Universities, especially in big cities, cannot accommodate all applicants. Because of this, students have to look for apartments, which drives up rental prices and creates strong competition in the market.
Shortage of dormitory places: situation by cities
The hardest situation with student housing is in Bratislava — there are many more applicants than free places. For example, the Slovak University of Technology (STU) received about 5,000 applications but provided only 2,099 places. At Comenius University, 839 students out of almost 8,000 applicants were left without housing — about 10% of all who applied.
In other cities it is a bit easier, but there is still a shortage:
Nitra: Constantine the Philosopher University enrolled over 3,000 students but has only a little more than 2,000 places. 700 students are on the waiting list.
Banská Bystrica: Matej Bel University managed to satisfy most requests, but 115 students remained without places.
Žilina: About 200 students are on waiting lists.
Trnava: Similar situation, about 200 places are missing.
Prešov: Prešov University managed to accommodate almost everyone, about 50 people remain on the waiting list.
If you did not get a place, universities advise not to give up and to submit an additional application. During the semester, rooms may become free, so you still have a chance.
Increase in dormitory prices
From the new academic year 2026/2027, dormitory prices have gone up. The reason is inflation and higher maintenance costs for buildings, as prices had not changed since 2023. For example, at the Technical University in Košice the cheapest place now costs 85 euros instead of 75, and the most expensive — 123 euros instead of 110. Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica also raised prices: the minimum cost increased from 70 to 77 euros.
Approximate prices for dormitory accommodation at some Slovak universities for the 2026/2027 academic year:
Prešov University: from 75 to 85 euros.
University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava: from 80 to 90 euros.
Žilina University: from 70 to 102 euros.
Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica: from 77 to 105 euros.
Technical University in Košice: from 85 to 123 euros.
Even despite the price increase, dormitories remain the most affordable option for students.
Alternatives: renting housing
If you did not get a place in a dormitory, you will have to rent housing. August is always a busy month for rentals, but this year demand broke all records. Most often students look for two- and three-room apartments to rent together. This option costs about 300–450 euros per person per month.
In Bratislava, renting a room costs from 220 to 370 euros per month, and a separate apartment — from 800 to 1000 euros. In Košice, a room costs 180–440 euros. An additional difficulty is that many owners do not want to rent to students, which makes the search even harder.
Advice for students
If you plan to enter a university in Slovakia, start looking for housing early:
Submit a dormitory application immediately after enrollment. Deadlines are very short, so do not miss them.
At the same time, look for options on the rental market. Do not wait for the final answer from the dormitory to avoid losing time.
Consider sharing an apartment rental. This will help save a lot.
Pay attention to districts farther from the center. Bratislava has good public transport, so getting to the university will not be a problem.
A place in a dormitory is not only a saving but also a great opportunity to adapt quickly and find friends. It is worth fighting for it, but it is always better to have a backup plan.
