THE University of Worcester says it is committed to providing “quality, affordable accommodation” after new figures revealed the average price of student digs in the city is higher than the likes of York and Bath.

The Accommodation for Students website reported that students in the city are paying, on average, £89 per week for private accommodation – about £10 above the national average.

But the university says it works hard to support students who choose to live in private accommodation.

A university spokesman said: “While it is difficult to comment on the Accommodation for Students table – as they have not specified how their data has been collected – the University of Worcester is committed to providing quality, affordable accommodation for our students.” By way of comparison, the lowest weekly cost of staying in the university’s halls of residence for the forthcoming year is £84, inclusive of gas, electricity, water, broadband internet access, contents insurance and gym membership.

“University managed accommodation is available to all new students, and we provide a range of quality accommodation to suit all budgets and needs,” the spokesman said. “In terms of pricing, the University of Worcester only charges for 39 weeks of the calendar year, as we believe it is unfair to charge students for the weeks during which they are not being educated at the university.

“This is in direct contrast to some institutions, who charge for between 44 and 51 weeks of the calendar year.”

The amount students pay for private accommodation in Worcester is more, on average, than places such as Bath (£88 per week, on average), Chester (£79) and York (£77). The figures cover the average cost per room of private housing, not halls of residence, the average figure for which is unknown.

The £89 for Worcester represents an increase of £7 on this time last year.

It means the city is 22nd in the list of most expensive student accommodation according to Accommodation for Students.