University towns have enjoyed a doubling of house prices over the past five years, according to mortgage lender and estate agent Halifax.

Belfast topped the price-growth table with the average home's value surging 105% to £207,669, despite price falls in the last year.

Dundee followed with 101% growth, Bangor prices increased 100%, Aberdeen rose 95% and Bradford was up 94% in the period, according to the Halifax data.

A total of 18 other university towns recorded price rises of at least 50%.

Halifax found students pay an average of £96 a week for private rented accommodation in university towns.

Unsurprisingly, London is the most expensive place in which to rent digs at an average of £116 a week, while university towns in Northern Ireland were the cheapest at just £64 a week.

But in terms of house prices, Guildford, Surrey, is the most expensive university town, with average property prices of £363,503, followed by Winchester at £343,332 and Bath at £326,403.

All 10 of the most expensive student towns in which to buy property are in the South East.

Outside southern England, Bangor has the highest house prices at an average of £245,855, followed by Warwick and Cheltenham.

At the other end of the scale, Hull is the least expensive university town, with homes costing just £124,108, despite house price increases of 79% during the five years to June 2008.

Eight other university towns have average house prices of less than £150,000, including Stoke-on-Trent, Bradford and Durham.

Just over half of the 64 university towns surveyed have average property prices that are higher than in the surrounding area, commanding an average premium of about £20,000.

Winchester has the biggest premium, with the average property in the city costing 50% or £114,489 more than those across Hampshire.

Martin Ellis, chief economist at Halifax, said: "The majority of the university towns we have surveyed have an average house price higher than the average for their county.

"While it can be a good investment, the decision to buy a property for a son or daughter at university ultimately depends on the parents' personal circumstances and property prices around the university in question."

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