GLASGOW students are paying some of the highest rents in Britain, new research has discovered.

GLASGOW students are paying some of the highest rents in Britain, new research has discovered.

Rent levels are being pushed up by young professionals who can't get a mortgage because of the credit crunch and are renting rather than buying.

A study by the website accommodationforstudents.com found students in Glasgow are paying an average rent of £69.34 a week.

The city comes 14th in a table of Britain's most expensive university towns.

St Andrews University - Prince William was its most famous student - has the dearest accommodation in Scotland at £82 a week, while Edinburgh is one place above Glasgow at £71.06.

Researchers said undergraduates were having to stump up an extra £10 a week more than four years ago.

The option facing parents of buying a flat for their student son or daughter rather than renting is becoming more attractive.

Gurjit Singh, president of the National Union of Students in Scotland, said: "These statistics highlight once again the intense financial pressure students are subject to.

"Our own research tells us that more than a third of students in Scotland have considered dropping out because of financial hardship, and rent is one of the biggest costs faced by students."

London is the most expensive place to study, with an average student rent of £102.65 a week.