<p>Keeping it real I’d never use the word “cheap” to describe NYU housing no matter what the year. It’s NYC after all.</p>
<p>The cost change between freshman year and the next is mainly because as you get into the upper grades, the housing options all are apartments with kitchens and a common living space. First year, you can have housing in your more traditional dorms which are just bedrooms and a shared bath OR you might have an apartment style housing choice in which case, the price will look more or less the same. (Compare the price of 3rd North for example to a next year’s apartment gig at Palladium. Not that different.) </p>
<p>My daughter lived in Founders her first year. AMAZING space (compared to my college experience anyway) but no kitchen and no common spaces in the suite. This past year she lived in an apartment-style housing. We did have to pay more for that but I’m fairly sure by … $1000ish? I could look up the exact numbers but it is something like that. You can search on the housing costs and get the specifics. There is a PDF with the details. There are low cost options offered every year. It mostly translates to being willing to share a bedroom with more than one person or forgo air conditioning. Let’s face it though. Anyone thinking housing in NYC will ever look like they would pay in rural New York etc… is going to be sadly disappointed. Expect to pay upwards of 14-15K/year. </p>