It appears that a one-time worry that online learning might cause demand for campus housing to decline is no longer an immediate concern. There is a real, very current development-boom on college and university campuses nationwide.
Student housing projects are up more than 88% over last year and there are indications of strong, broad-based demands for 2026. Currently, at only 1,500 tracked universities, there are more than 19,500 beds under construction, more than 16,700 in planning stages. But other campus projects include 34,000 prospective athletics upgrades, scoreboard projects, and enhanced sport stadium initiatives underway. Research and academic buildouts continue, and district energy systems are also common projects on university campuses. The fast-moving construction trend is fueled by significantly escalated college enrollment in 2025, and recruitment competition is more aggressive than ever.
The upcoming projects on university campuses that follow represent only the tip of a fast-growing trend.
Officials at Boise State University in Idaho are advancing plans for a new $140 million Science Research Building that will expand the university’s teaching and research capacity. The project will address the need for more space and upgraded facilities to support the school’s growing student enrollment and faculty research.
Preliminary design shows an L-shaped, five-story structure located near other university buildings. More than half of the space will be dedicated to state-of-the-art teaching space and research labs. Standard lab rooms will be remodeled with minimal disruption, while specialized labs will be reworked for specific research needs. The remaining areas will feature flexible classrooms, faculty offices, study lounges, collaboration zones, and a ground-floor coffee shop. The project is expected to remain in the design phase through November 2026. Groundbreaking and a construction launch is planned for 2027.
A new $75 million residence hall is planned for the University of Kansas (KU). It will be designed to address rising enrollment and limited housing at the Lawrence campus. The new residence will add nearly 600 beds, and the project will also deliver an additional 300 parking spaces for on-campus residents.
Early design plans outline 16 residential “pods,” each with 37 beds. Rooms will follow a traditional layout with double occupancy for most students and single units for resident assistants. The hall will also feature student gathering areas and academic support spaces. The project is currently in preliminary planning, and it is part of KU’s fiscal year (FY) 2027 capital improvement plan. Construction solicitations are slated for late 2026.
The University of Arizona plans to expand its fine arts facilities with the construction of a new art museum on the Tucson campus. The existing museum, built in 1957, no longer meets the university’s needs for exhibition space, collection care and storage, and accessibility.
The $60 million project would relocate the new museum to a more accessible site on the main campus. When completed, the project will deliver a 42,000-square-foot facility that almost doubles the current museum’s footprint. The plan is to add larger, more flexible galleries to support community engagement and public programming. The project will also modernize preservation, curation, and back-of-house functions, improving climate control, secure storage, and research. It will also provide teaching spaces that support coursework. Once a schematic design is complete construction solicitations will be released. Additional schedule details are expected following Arizona Board of Regents review and approval.
Officials at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis are planning a new College of Medicine & Interdisciplinary Building, which will be designed as a cornerstone of its campus modernization strategy. The $350 million project will replace outdated facilities that no longer meet instructional demands or enrollment growth.
The new facility will serve as headquarters for the College of Medicine and support interdisciplinary education across multiple health programs. It will accommodate significant enrollment growth, including expanding the Doctor of Medicine and Physician Assistant programs. Flexible classrooms, simulation labs, and collaboration areas will anchor the facility, and they will all be equipped with advanced instructional technology and audiovisual systems. Design work is underway and a decision has been announced that the delivery method will be a construction manager/general manager model. Multi-package bidding is under consideration and construction will be scheduled in phases beginning in 2026.
Officials at Virginia Tech have announced plans for a new residence hall that will add approximately 600 beds to its campus in Blacksburg. The $100 million residence hall project represents a major investment in the university’s housing system to accommodate the increasing demand for enrollment. Designed as a modern living-learning environment, the new residence hall will provide updated amenities and community spaces. Plans call for future renovation, upgrades and construction related to older residence halls.
The project is in the planning and design phase, and construction is expected to start in late 2026.
A $185 million project has been announced for the University of South Carolina. Officials are planning to expand the Honors College and replace the McBryde Residence Hall with a new 1,000-bed facility as part of a single project that will significantly improve its on-campus facilities. The objective is to provide more space for student housing and expand contemporary classrooms near the center of campus
The development will include new community amenities, expanded classroom and collaborative spaces, and modern suite-style housing to support academic progress and student life. The upgrades will guarantee future students have access to modern residential and academic resources. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with a targeted project completion date of fall 2028.
Officials at the University of Connecticut are preparing a major renovation of Gampel Pavilion, its iconic basketball arena and performance venue. The project carries an estimated cost of up to $100 million. The effort will modernize the 33-year-old facility and add amenities to enhance the experience for student athletes, fans, and visitors.
The renovation plans call for a new student-athlete dining hall and commissary kitchen, expanded concession space, and new premium club rooms. Enhanced seating options will include small, semi-private premium boxes, and expanded press seating to enhance court visibility. The project will also feature upgraded player facilities with locker rooms, team meeting space, training areas, and coaches’ offices.
The renovation will also tackle long-standing maintenance needs. A permanent solution will replace the temporary system currently used to manage roof condensation and planners are studying options related to converting exterior canopies into expanded concourse space to create better circulation and fan access. Schematic design is underway and will continue through January 2026. Construction is planned for early 2026.
University campuses nationwide are entering a high-growth development phase that shows no signs of slowing. For planners, contractors, and government vendors, these early-stage projects represent rare opportunities to partner on long-horizon initiatives backed by public funding, enrollment-driven urgency, and strategic campus modernization goals. Institutions are no longer asking whether to build — but how fast they can do it.
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