Percent of on-campus students as a correlate of quality

Parents Forum
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<p>MaryTN:</p>

<p>The on-campus housing at UCSD is more expensive than living in off-campus apartments/condos within a mile or two of campus. This comparison assumes 2 people per room in a 2 bedroom apartment but in this configuration they’d have quite a bit more room than the dorm, have a full kitchen, and would also have a full balcony, pool, workout room, etc. These are very nice apartment complexes in upscale La Jolla. </p>

<p>Pricing of housing varies widely so it really depends on the college and area as to the comparison. It’s interesting though that it’s less expensive to live off-campus in one of the most expensive towns in the country.</p>

<p>For furnishing - one can furnish an apartment quite inexpensively by acquiring ‘spare’ furniture from home and friends and by hitting garage sales. My D typically didn’t spend more than $20 per item with the items being chairs, tables, end tables, lamps, desk, etc. The housing savings in a month or two could pay for the furnishings. Again, it depends on the particular college/area.</p>

<p>Regardless, I’d still recommend a student living on-campus if possible for at least the first year or two.</p>

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<p>Remember that after freshman year many students elect to move into apartments or other housing options. The ones where students elect to stay in housing all four years often correlates to cost of housing in the area or college rules.</p>

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<p>So many factors to consider. Living on campus at a suitcase school, ie where the majority of students leave on weekends. Living in a large city where off campus rents are sky high, or a small town with not much housing available off campus. Living in an off campus private dorm. Commuting from home. Close by apartments. Checking the amount of available on campus student parking relative to the number of students may help (as well as school car recommendations). I would want to see what a campus was like on the weekend during the school year more than finding out percentages not in the dorms.</p>