Will Paris soon be deprived of its students? This year too, back-to-school comes with hardship for many

The new school year is approaching fast and, as every year, future students struggle to find housing in the capital. The housing crisis has long been the norm in Paris. The problem remains the same: too few offers for a growing demand. Thus, finding a studio in Paris is almost an achievement. The numbers speak for themselves: it is not uncommon for a listing to attract nearly a thousand requests for a single studio, according to Particulier à Particulier, a real estate listing site. The rental market is saturated and landlords, faced with such demand, can afford to be extremely selective, even to set prohibitive rents. For a student, even with a scholarship or family help, the mission becomes almost impossible.

The average price of a Parisian studio now easily exceeds 900 euros per month, an amount that swallows almost the entire budget of a young person. On top of that come utilities, subscriptions and the overall cost of living in the capital, notoriously higher than in the rest of France. Result: many students give up, preferring to look elsewhere.

Beyond the price, the housing conditions offered are often unworthy: 9 m² rooms without a real kitchen, unhealthy housing, overcrowded flat shares… For many, living in Paris becomes synonymous with daily sacrifices. Some have to juggle several small jobs to pay their rent, to the detriment of their studies. Others cram into apartments that are far too small. This residential insecurity worsens the malaise and drives more and more students to flee the capital.

Faced with this situation, many young people turn to Seine-Saint-Denis. A department long stigmatized, it now attracts students thanks to its affordability and more reasonable rents. The towns of Saint-Denis, Montreuil, Pantin or Aubervilliers, well served by metro, RER and bus lines, appear as credible alternatives.

In these cities, a studio can be rented for 30 to 40% less than in Paris, which radically changes the situation. Flat shares are more spacious, shops cheaper, and the atmosphere sometimes friendlier than in the overcrowded districts of the capital. Seine-Saint-Denis also benefits from major development projects linked to the Grand Paris and the 2024 Olympic Games, which have boosted infrastructure and improved quality of life.

The trend seems likely to continue. Students, constrained by their budget, are inventing new university geographies. While Parisian campuses remain attractive, many prefer to live on the outskirts for a better daily life. The phenomenon goes beyond Seine-Saint-Denis: some more distant suburbs, but well connected by transport, are experiencing a similar influx. In reality, this exodus reveals a deeper transformation: Paris is no longer the city of the young. Prices, scarcity of housing and generalized precariousness have driven away those who should embody its future. The attractiveness of the capital, so strong on the academic and cultural level, now faces an insurmountable financial barrier.