The cost of renting a room in Italy's major university cities has risen dramatically over the last six years, with Bari, Cagliari, and Palermo experiencing the greatest rises. Immobiliare.it conducted a study on the market trends for student and young working-class rents in the country's major university cities. Between March 2020 and March 2026, the average price of a single room at Italy's ten major state universities, which were attended by more than 40,000 students, increased by 41%. This rise is about ten percentage points higher than that recorded for studio apartments in the same urban contexts. The rises were mostly led by Bari and Palermo, which increased by 59% and 55%, respectively. Padua and Florence followed at 46% each, with Turin at 45%. In Rome, the increase was 40%, while Bologna, Naples, and Milan saw increases of 30% to 40%. Milan experienced a 31% increase, while Naples saw a 36% increase. Among the top universities, Pisa saw the lowest increase, with costs rising by 16%. Among other medium- and large-sized public universities, the average rise was 31%, with substantial regional variations. Cagliari experienced a 58% increase, followed by Messina (+46%) and Genoa (+41%). In terms of absolute prices, Milan remains the most costly city, with a monthly average of €729 for a single room. Florence (€625), Rome (€609), and Bologna (€599) follow, with Padua rounding out the top five at €490. Messina and Catania, on the other hand, are the most affordable cities, with average monthly rents of €284. Perugia (€300), Palermo (€309), and Udine (€310) trail closely after.