Housing & Apartments

Find housing near your university in 🇺🇸 United States. Real cost breakdowns, trusted platforms, and student-specific tips.

💡 Tip: Book a short-term Airbnb or hostel for your first 2 weeks. Never commit to a lease without seeing the place — search from your home country, but sign after arrival.

Data as of April 2026. Rent estimates are median figures sourced from Zillow Research, Numbeo, and Rentals.ca city reports. Prices vary by neighbourhood and unit type. Always verify current listings on the platforms listed below.

Average Monthly Rent by City

Estimates for student-appropriate housing. Actual prices vary by neighbourhood and building quality.

City	Shared Room	Studio	1-Bedroom	Student Tip
New York City, NY	$1,100	$2,400	$2,800	Look in Jackson Heights (Queens) or Jersey City (NJ) for cheaper options with good transit.
San Francisco, CA	$1,300	$2,700	$3,100	Consider Oakland or Berkeley — same transit access, 25–40% cheaper. Look for units near BART.
Boston, MA	$950	$2,200	$2,600	September 1 is "moving day" in Boston — plan 2–3 months ahead. Somerville and Allston are popular student areas.
Seattle, WA	$800	$1,800	$2,100	University District (U-District) is cheapest and closest to UW. Good bus and light rail to Amazon/Microsoft campuses.
Los Angeles, CA	$900	$2,000	$2,300	Car is helpful but not required if you live near Metro lines. Westwood (near UCLA) is popular but expensive.
Chicago, IL	$700	$1,400	$1,600	Hyde Park (near UChicago) and Evanston (near Northwestern) are the main student neighborhoods. Very walkable.
Austin, TX	$700	$1,400	$1,600	West Campus near UT is very walkable. No state income tax — your salary goes further here.
Atlanta, GA	$650	$1,200	$1,400	Midtown Atlanta near Georgia Tech. MARTA rail connects to the airport and major employment areas.
Pittsburgh, PA	$550	$950	$1,100	One of the most affordable major cities for students. Squirrel Hill and Oakland are near CMU and Pitt.
Ann Arbor, MI	$600	$1,100	$1,300	Very international student community. Many furnished sublets available from students who go home for summer.

Prices are monthly USD estimates as of 2024–25. Shared room = your portion of a shared apartment.

Where to Search for Housing

Zillow

Apartments & Houses

Best for: Full apartments & houses

Largest US listings database. Great for browsing before arrival. Filter by "For Rent" and set price alerts.

Visit Zillow ↗

Apartments.com

Apartments

Best for: Managed apartment complexes

Best for large professionally-managed buildings. Usually have income requirements (3x rent) — ask about student exceptions.

Visit Apartments.com ↗

Facebook Marketplace

Rooms & Sublets

Best for: Rooms & short-term sublets

Best for finding private landlords and roommates. Search your university name + "room for rent" or "sublet".

Visit Facebook Marketplace ↗

PadMapper

Map-based Search

Best for: Map-based search near campus

Shows all listings on a map — great for finding places within walking/biking distance of campus.

Visit PadMapper ↗

Craigslist

Rooms & Sublets

Best for: Cheap rooms & off-campus sublets

Older platform but still widely used for cheap rooms. Always meet in person and never wire money upfront.

Visit Craigslist ↗

Roomies.com

Roommate Finder

Best for: Finding compatible roommates

Specifically for finding roommates. Filter by lifestyle preferences (quiet, pets, smoking, schedules).

Visit Roomies.com ↗

What to Know Before Renting

📋

Documents you'll need

·Passport + F-1 visa
·I-20 or DS-2019
·University acceptance / enrollment letter
·Bank statement (proof of funds)
·US guarantor (or pay extra deposit)
·First + last month's rent upfront

⚠️

Watch out for

·Listings that ask for wire transfer before viewing
·"Too cheap to be true" prices in expensive cities
·Landlords who won't let you visit in person
·No written lease agreement
·Utilities not included (ask upfront)
·Security deposit > 2 months rent (varies by state)

💡

Smart moves

·Book a short-term Airbnb for first 2 weeks while you search
·Join your university's Facebook housing group
·Ask your DSO — many schools maintain housing listings for students
·Consider furnished rooms to avoid buying furniture
·Check if university has a "housing guarantee" for new grad students