Dive Brief:
- Higher education institutions have improved peak and overall use of their space, according to a report by occupancy platform company Occuspace.
- After broad declines in 2025, utilization has turned a corner, with daily peak utilization up 6 to 8 basis points compared to a year prior, Occuspace says. Institutions saw higher utilization in classrooms, offices, open workspaces and study spaces, with declines in recreation and lab space.
- There is still room for improvement. Small and medium conference rooms remain empty 73% of the work week, and classrooms sit unoccupied almost a third of the time between regular working hours, per the report.
Dive Insight:
Classroom and office utilization rates on campuses measured their biggest year-over-year gain since post-COVID recovery began, rising to 47% and 45%, respectively, according to the report shared with Facilities Dive.
If the trend holds, utilization should reach 50% by this fall, CEO Nic Halverson said on a webinar hosted by the Society for College and University Planning. Classroom and office use still falls short of the 70% to 85% targets most institutions have set, the company says.
The report also found that large institutions, with registrar-controlled central scheduling at scale, are more efficient with classroom use but not their offices. Research faculty holding two to three offices drags down office utilization at those institutions, Halverson said.
These empty hours suggest opportunities for savings through optimizing existing space, HVAC use and custodial cleaning, Occuspace says.
By using data to optimize existing space, institutions could reap savings, Occuspace says. Operation savings could yield as much as 30 to 60 cents per square foot annually on custodial cleaning and HVAC costs, while shedding leases could save up to $40 per square foot per year.
Institutions could also avoid new construction costs, which could amount to $600 per square foot, Occuspace says.
Work that design firm BHDP did for Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati and Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia, show how small changes in space utilization can create ripple effects for schools and help them save on construction.
For Mount St. Joseph University, BHDP prepared a campus master plan that identified the library as a top priority for investment. A renovation added a more contemporary and inviting entrance, a centrally located information bar and an array of student spaces organized around a town square concept. At Bethany College, BHDP expanded the fitness center by absorbing underused racquetball courts, tripling student capacity and avoiding the cost of a dedicated new facility.
“Building space optimization through creative reconfiguration [is] the kind of solution that helps campuses meet student needs without overextending budgets,” BHDP says in a post on its website.
