The University of Rijeka Senate will decide on the proposal from the Student Center in September, and Director Manestar claims that even after the adjustment, accommodation will remain the cheapest in Croatia.
After more than a decade of unchanged prices, students living in Rijeka's dormitories could pay more for accommodation starting next academic year. This decision will be presented to the University of Rijeka Senate in September 2026, and the proposal comes from the Rijeka Student Center, as reported by Riječki Novi list.
Goran Manestar, director of the Student Center, has not yet revealed the exact amount of the price increase, but emphasizes that the arguments for the adjustment are indisputable. "What I can say is that since 2018, the student hourly wage has increased by 130 percent, inflation has been over 30 percent, and our accommodation prices have remained at the same level throughout this period. Our stance is that this is unsustainable and that the loss should be reduced to zero," Manestar told Novi list.
Currently, students in the "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Student Village in Podmurvice pay between 51.10 and 53.09 euros per month, depending on the room type. Those housed in the Trsat Student Village pay 73.99 euros per month. For comparison, in Zagreb, prices have been rising for the third consecutive year, reaching up to 117 euros for a double room and 139 euros for a single room.
Manestar assures that even after the increase, Rijeka will remain the city with the most affordable student accommodation in the country. "All student centers have been changing prices in recent years. I cannot disclose the exact adjustment before the Senate's decision, but it is certain that Rijeka currently has the lowest student accommodation prices and that even after the increase, it will remain the lowest," he emphasized.
Interest in Rijeka's dormitories has been exceptionally high this year as well. For the 1,250 available spots, just over 2,100 applications were received. "Perhaps about sixty fewer than last year, which is in line with the general decline in the number of students," the director explained. The largest number of students, 644, are housed at Trsat, while the "Ivan Goran Kovačić" Village has a capacity for 606 students.
The pressure on accommodation capacities should be alleviated by the construction of a new pavilion at Trsat with 284 beds, for which the tender for the contractor has just been completed. It is expected that students could move into the new facility in the autumn of 2028.
Students will learn the results of the dormitory accommodation competition by August 10, 2026. Those who do not secure a place in a dormitory will have the option to apply for subsidized housing with a private landlord. It is important to note that this right will not be available to students who did not apply for the dormitory competition, nor to those who were granted subsidized accommodation in facilities of the Rijeka Student Center but did not accept it.
