Over a third (34%) of undergraduates are likely to fall victim to theft, be it burglary or a mugging, while studying, according to Moneysupermarket.

The price comparison site said that student housing has become a prime location for theft, with thieves targeting easily accessible, high value items.

The five most valuable items stolen from students are money (17%), handbags (7%), jewellery (6%), phones (6%) and cameras (6%).

Students remain unprotected

Despite the high number of student thefts, more than one in 10 (12%) admit not doing anything to keep their belongings safe and 36% never even lock their doors when leaving their house or flat.

Over a third (36%) of students don’t have any form of contents insurance because it’s ‘too expensive’ or they didn’t think they needed it.

Without the ability to claim for stolen items on contents insurance, students face inconvenience and financial hardship as they often lack sufficient funds to replace them.

Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Thieves are opportunistic and will often target student areas, as they know security can be an afterthought for some residents.

“With a large portion of thefts being spur of the moment, locking doors and windows and keeping valuable items out of sight from passers-by are quick and easy ways to reduce the chance that you’ll be targeted by thieves. If you live in shared accommodation, make sure you have a lock on your room door – you can’t be too careful.

“While there are a lot of things to think about when heading to university – often the first-time people have lived away from home – having contents insurance should be near the top of your list. With the average cost of contents insurance sitting at £76, it’s certainly worth looking into so you can have the peace of mind that your belongings are protected.

“Parents can also check whether their own contents insurance extends to protecting their child’s belongings while at university. It might be possible to extend the policy to include this cover, or it could be a consideration at the next renewal, when shopping around for the best policy.”

Are you (or your child) living in a student burglary hotspot? Find out using Moneysupermarket’s new interactive tool.