Four in five of today’s students expect to own their first home by the time they are 35 – despite their debt.

Many also seem very optimistic about future house prices, with 30% expecting that they will pay less than £150,000 and nearly a quarter expecting to pay under £200,000. The average house price is already £181,619 according to the Land Registry, while the average current asking price on Rightmove is £294,542.

Student accommodation website Accommodation for Students (AFS) revealed the findings following its annual nationwide student survey.

Figures showed that despite research by PricewaterhouseCoopers which suggests that by 2025 more people will rent than own, 80% of students expect to be able to buy a property between the ages of 25 and 35.

And despite the number of students in debt doubling last year – 21% now report personal debts of £20,000 or more – future home ownership remained important for 78% of those interviewed, while just 3.6% said buying was not important.

Simon Thompson, director of AFS, said: “It is great that so many students aspire to owning their own home one day and, perhaps for many, the reason they are at university in the first place.

“However, it is clear that the level of debt that students are now forced to start off life with will be a huge hindrance in achieving these goals.

“The government says it is making the dream of home ownership a reality, but it is possible this could be at the detriment of some choosing higher education.

“The attractiveness of going to university to come out with debt which will take decades to clear, versus friends who start their life working at 18 debt free, is securing a future for elitism.”

The AFS figures are based on 1,464 surveyed students of all ages.