The living situations of Goethe University students are far more diverse than one might initially assume. The 2022/23 student survey shows that some 34% of them live with their parents or relatives – a slightly higher share than the national average (2021: 30% according to the 22nd Social Survey).
Variety of Living Arrangements
Beyond living at home, student housing is spread relatively evenly across different arrangements:
- 23% live with one or more people, for example in a shared flat.
- 21% live alone.
- 16% live with a partner.
- Around 5% live with a partner and child(ren) or as single parents.
The largest proportion, however, live in their family environment – a circumstance likely linked to Frankfurt’s tight housing market.
Influencing Factors: Finances and Background
The survey highlights clear differences between groups:
- Students who mainly receive BAföG (state student grants) live independently of their families more often (78.7%) than those with little or no BAföG support (around 64%).
- 84.4% of students with a personal migration background live in their own accommodation, while nearly half (48.5%) of students with a family migration background still live at home.
These differences show the decisive role played by financial support and family circumstances in shaping living situations.
Initiatives for Support
Given Frankfurt’s shortage of affordable housing, the Frankfurt Student Services (Studierendenwerk) has launched the campaign “The Key to Success – Affordable Living!” The aim is to encourage citizens to rent housing to students at fair rates. Offers and requests are available on the platform wohnraum-gesucht.de.
Additional support services for students include:
- An overview of the public housing market provided by Goethe University
- Housing search tips from the AStA Frankfurt (General Student Committee)
- The AStA Bed Exchange for short-term accommodation
- The Goethe Welcome Center’s roombase, specifically for international researchers and lecturers
The survey shows that for many students in Frankfurt, living at home is an obvious and often necessary choice. At the same time, differences between individual groups are striking. Beyond financial aid and family background, one factor stands out as central: the lack of affordable housing in Frankfurt has a stronger impact on student living arrangements than personal preferences or ideals.
