Is it cheaper to live in the dorms or off campus?

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It depends on your school and how you'd live off campus. Sharing a house or apartment with roommates is often cheaper per month, but dorms bundle utilities, internet, furniture and sometimes a meal plan into one price for the school year only. Compare the full cost over the months you'd pay for, not just the monthly rent. Make a fair comparison by listing what each option actually includes: Dorm: room, utilities, internet and furniture, often with a required meal plan, for roughly nine months. Off campus: rent plus electricity, gas, water, internet, renters insurance, furniture, groceries and transport, usually for twelve months. Off-campus move-in costs: a security deposit, application fees, and sometimes first and last month's rent upfront. The twelve-month lease is where many students get caught out. If you go home for the summer, you either pay rent on an empty room or find someone to sublet it. Divide the off-campus yearly total by the months you'll actually live there to see the real monthly cost. Price isn't everything. Dorms are usually closer to class and simpler in your first year. Off campus gives you more space, a kitchen and privacy, and with the right roommates it can cost less per person. Many students spend one or two years on campus, then move off.

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