Senior Living-university Partnership Trend Gains Steam In 2026

Universities and senior housing partnering isn’t a new concept, but in 2026 there may be more opportunities and benefits to do so than ever before.

There are currently between 85 and 100 senior living communities located on or near university campuses with some form of formal relationship, according to Andrew Carle, lead faculty for graduate curriculum in senior living administration at Georgetown University, who spoke on the topic during a LeadingAge webinar on Jan. 14.

There are around 2,600 four-year universities across the country, and given demand for such arrangements from universities and operators that number could “easily quadruple” in the coming years.

“The boomers are the most highly educated retirement demographic in history. Survey after survey has shown they want three things: They want active, stimulating and intergenerational retirement environments, which is basically a college campus,” Carle said.

Senior living communities connect with university campuses through a variety of ways. Edenwald Senior Living, for example, takes a more business approach with the development of its location on Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. The community currently has a 99-year lease with the university and is adding three towers and 125 apartments, along with a shared services agreement that lays out what residents can do on campus and what services are shared together when the community opens, according to Edenwald President and CEO Mark Beggs.

Pre-lease up went faster than anticipated as well, with 70% of the 125 apartments signed for in nine weeks when it was anticipated to take around a year, Beggs added.

Life plan community ClarkLindsey, located adjacent to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, maintains its relationship with the university through programs research, continuing education programs and intergenerational learning with student internships, according to President and CEO Debra Reardanz.

According to Beggs, the relationship between Goucher and Edenwald is mutually beneficial. The college campus is around 300 acres and has land to spare, and Edenwald’s location brings in additional revenue. And now, there may be more opportunities arising as universities prepare for an enrollment cliff, Carle said.

“These are very popular communities. They fill up their benchmarks versus industry standards for pre-leasing, pre-opening, lease up, post occupancy, fill rates, years long wait list … These are very successful business opportunities for universities to add to their portfolio as a strategy,” Carle said.

Having a connection to the university acts as a draw to these communities as well. The Kendal Corporation has a community located near Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, and around 40% of the residents have a connection to the university, according to CEO Vassar Byrd.

Pursuing these kinds of partnerships isn’t without its own challenges, however. The partnerships rely on continuous communication, Byrd said. One particularly important aspect to note is having supervision and programs established for interns. Those looking to take part in university research need to know it’s a slow process as well, according to Reardanz.

With the rising number of older adults aging solo, university locations may have more of a draw moving forward as well.

“I understand most of our residents come from close to where we’re located, but I think there’s going to be more and more people who just choose to move back to where they came from,” Reardanz said.

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