Parents contemplating buying a house for their university-attending children to live in, rather than them wasting money on rent may be interested in new findings from the Halifax.The eighth Halifax University Town House Price Review has been completed and has found that house prices in the majority of university towns are trading at a premium compared with other areas in their counties.Some 55 per cent of the 64 university towns surveyed have average house prices which are higher than in surrounding areas.Nine towns have average prices which exceed the county average by a minimum of £20,000, including Winchester, Warwick and Newcastle.Winchester was found to be the second most expensive university town by the research, with a property costing an average of £343,332, second only to Guilford at £363,503.Martin Ellis, chief economist at Halifax, commented: "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."The average student pays £96 per week for private rental accommodation when at university, the research added.