With the discussion of room and board prices, I am wondering what you pay for your kids off campus housing?
My kids are out of school now but only a couple of years and I paid in the $400-450 range. My sil, who has 2 kids at the University of Michigan told me that she pays $1000 for one in a 4 bedroom, 2 bath apartment. And almost $1100 for the other kid in a studio. Wow! I knew housing was expensive in Ann Arbor but I was surprised. Her one kid is looking at houses for next year with the same $1000 per kid budget but they will have 6 kids so want a 6 bedroom house. $6000 a month budget!
I know this is none of my business but if you could share
D1 at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. $655 per month for a studio apartment in Squirrel Hill. Water, garbage, laundry, gas included. Electric not included. It’s close enough to campus to walk (although probably not desirable in inclimate weather. It is one block from bus stop (all CMU students receive free fare) and is also on the CMU courtesy bus route so if you are on campus late at night you can call and get a ride back (important for my peace of mind when she is on campus late at night!)
As I am from Michigan and also have a D at Cornell, Ann Arbor is about as notorious as Ithaca for high rents!
Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. My oldest shares a common area with 3 other girls but she has her own bedroom and private bath for $595 monthly. This includes all utilities. This is within walking distance of campus. We looked at a 1 bedroom apartment (close but not really within walking distance) for $900 per month without utilities (probably $1,100 all-in). If you want your own place with no sharing then it will cost more.
One in Troy, NY - 625 for bedroom and own bathroom in a house. One in College Park, MD - 1/2 of 1 bedroom in TINY 1 BR apt is $695 a month. Both are easy walk from campus.
Princeton (actually in Lawrenceville), NJ - $525 for a bedroom in a 4 br/2 ba townhome. Utilities not included. Columbia, SC - $750 for one br apartment. Utilities not included. Neither is walking distance to university, but both kids have cars. In DC two years ago , D paid $750 to share a bedroom in a 2 br apt.
My S is at UM and has paid the following rents in AA. $320/ month- 2 BR, 1 bathroom apt. 3 students. $870/ month-
4 BR, 4 bathroom apt 4 students, currently $470/ month- 4 BR, 3 Bathroom house 6 students. Rents are high in AA, if they’re not willing to share a bedroom they are obviously going to pay a lot more. In my S’s current situation the students sharing a BR are paying less than those that have a BR to themselves, but not $1000/ month I don’t think.
Oldest is not in college, but lives next to Vandy and Belmont in Nashville. Studio = $900. You can find places for less but we liked the area and the parking availability, and he signed a shorter lease.
UCSD, La Jolla, CA where Mitt Romney owns a house, mine pays $650 for a shared Master Bedroom with her roommate. The other roommate has a room to herself and she pays $850. Just rent only and not utilities.
When D1 was in undergrad, she paid $550 for a shared 4 bedroom house. Now she is in grad school and lives in Durham, NC and pays $875 to share a 2 bedroom house. Prices for a 1BR apartment or condo were REALLY expensive. I was a little shocked.
My kids were at small privates so all apartments were actually university owned apartments. In the end, ended up cheaper than dorms once you took out the meal plans.
But a friend who’s son went to Miami of Ohio had to pay the prices you speak of Deb. Think of the $$ these landloads are raking in!
My son’s attending college in San Luis Obispo, CA. This year he’s renting a studio for $869-it’s right next to the college (he just has to cross the street). Last year he shared a bedroom in a house (a few blocks from campus) and had rent of $560.
Kid in 'More near JHU rented a room in a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment with shared kitchen/living room (dishwasher and W/D) for $990/month, which included Internet, TV, and all utilities. The biggest upside was that she could safely walk to classes; the biggest downside was that the area was a food and fun desert.
There’s a pretty wide variety at Michigan. I’ve heard people doing rent for anywhere from $250/month to $1400/month. There’s a lot of new very high end luxury apartments and there’s a lot of really old run down apartments and houses. There are plenty of cheaper options than $1000 or $1100 a month in Ann Arbor but Ann Arbor is still quite expensive by Midwest standards.
Penn State UP (none include parking)
350 for a bed in a 3 bdr converted first floor home; shotgun kitchen, no utilities, 1 bathroom. Probably $650-700 now
470 for a bed in a highrise two-bedroom, 4 person, 1 bathroom apartment , utilities included – current rent is now $675/person
825 for a single, one bedroom old (1930’s) 400 sq ft apartment, plus electric and cable and internet
890 for a two bedroom townhouse, plus electric and internet (we lucked out on this one)
950 for a one bedroom, 2 person, 650sq ft plus electric (guys chose to not get cable, “who needs it?”)
$1,000 per month (rent only) for his own room in a five bedroom, two bath apartment that he shares with six other people in Berkeley. He doesn’t seem to mind the crowded conditions. It seems luxurious to him compared to the triple dorm room he had for freshman year. It is within walking distance of campus.
Ann Arbor housing is ridiculous. But when you have one of the wealthiest student bodies in the country, landlords are going to tap into that wealth.
At Michigan State, I paid 550 for 2 people in a 2 bedroom and 295 for the same apt with 4 people. Not a nice apt but it was right across the street from campus.
D in Evanston, IL paid 500 per month for sharing a bedroom this summer, and about double now for her own bedroom in a 2-bedroom place within walking distance to campus. Son just graduated from UIUC paying 450 for his own bedroom in 2-bedroom place within walking distance to campus, but now pays 590 to live in the living room in Mountain View, CA. ack!
Thanks so much, there sure are differences in prices.
When my kids moved off campus, they saved money but if you are paying $12,000/year in housing costs, I would think you would do better in the dorms.
I have to say when my sil said that she gave her D a $1000/month budget I was so surprised. I’ve heard it’s very nice and only the best for my niece lol!
^ DS contemplated living in a (IMO it was rundown in a Iffy neighborhood) house with 4 other guys this year in Atlanta for $500/month plus utilities to save us money. I said NO if we are paying housing you are staying on campus even though it’s more money.
Both of my children’s schools required that they move off campus in their junior years. Neither school had enough on campus housing. Luckily, we saved money when each kid moved into an apartment. Both schools were charging over $12000/year for on campus housing and board! Ridiculous!
