Developers and operators are partnering with colleges to access land, engagement opportunities, and a market that prefers experience-driven living. The approach brings advantages but also persistent timeline and approval hurdles.
Demand drivers line up: baby boomers want experience-focused living and universities face projected enrollment declines (13% by 2041).
The main barriers for campus projects are lengthy approval and construction timelines — some proposal-to-approval processes have taken about 13 months.
Why campuses are on operators' radars
Universities are attractive because they often have developable land in desirable locations and built-in programming that can keep residents engaged. Operators point to the chance to place senior living on or very near campuses and to tap into academic life, events, and intergenerational interaction.
Concrete examples and market signals
Merrill Gardens was selected to develop a 250-unit community in partnership with San Diego State University, with opening targeted for 2030. CEO Tana Gall said campus locations appeal because of land availability and engagement opportunities. Bob Kramer of Nexus Insights framed the demand side: baby boomers are seeking experiences rather than simply a care destination.
Demographics and institutional incentives
Supply constraints and financial context
The senior living industry is adding very little new inventory: 2026 had record-low development with less than 1% new inventory added as of March, and 2025 saw only 5,000 new units built. The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care reported a $1 trillion investment gap needed to meet baby boomer demand by 2050. Those supply and capital constraints make university partnerships more attractive to operators seeking viable development sites.
Practical bottlenecks: approvals and construction
Campus projects can speed some parts of development, but they still face long timelines. Gall described a request-for-proposal to approval cycle that took about 13 months, driven in part by university master-planning changes. Construction timelines for senior living have generally continued to climb, and campus projects require coordination with university planning, zoning, and master-plan schedules.
Resident interest and operational approach
Operators report interest among prospective residents near planned projects. The boomers targeted by these projects prefer active, experience-rich living, which makes intergenerational programming with students and campus activities a selling point. Operators also consider placing students, artists in residence, or researchers into communities to build day-to-day interaction.
Bottom line for operators and developers
College campuses offer a tangible path to land, engagement, and a market match. The trade-off is navigating university planning cycles, approvals, and persistent construction complexity. Where timelines and approvals can be managed, campus projects look positioned to fill some of the industry's land and demand gaps.
Several options, including on college campuses, offer communities focused on interactions with people belonging to different age groups.
Baby boomers are a different customer than the generation that came before them. Many want experiences – and contact with people of all ages. University senior living projects are one way that senior living operators have incorporated people of different generations. Senior living communities also are sometimes directl
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