There are over 20 million college students in the United States. It is expected that roughly half of those students are living on-campus vs living off-campus. 

College housing is an instrumental part of your college experience. Deciding where to live can be stressful, but it can help to run through the pros and cons of each type of living situation. 

Here is your complete guide on all the pros and cons of living on-campus vs living off-campus. 

Pros and Cons of Living On-Campus vs Off-Campus 

There are many pros to living on-campus at least for a couple of years during college. When you live in a dorm, you are usually right in the middle of all the activities and events happening on campus. 

Living on-campus means that you are usually surrounded by classmates and peers in your building. The social aspect is much greater as you bump into people you go to school with much more than when living off-campus. 

Another perk of living on-campus is that it is much easier to get to your classes. If you have an early morning class, all you have to do is roll out of bed and walk. There is no need to drive your car and look for a parking space or hop onto a bus to get to campus. 

A drawback of living on-campus is that there are usually more rules regarding visiting hours, things you are allowed to have in your dorm, like candles, and more. You need to abide by RA or face trouble with your university. 

Benefits of Living Off-Campus vs On-Campus

There are so many benefits to living in off-campus housing during your college experience. For starters, you usually have more privacy and personal space. You get your own bedroom and bathroom in an apartment versus needing to share in a dorm. 

Off-campus housing is typically less expensive than on-campus living. You get more freedom on who you can room with, as your roommate does not need to be a student. 

Off campus housing also allows you to concentrate on your studies more and not get as distracted as you might be when living on-campus. Off-campus housing also helps to prevent the feeling of living in a bubble on a college campus. 

You also have many more options in housing when choosing to live off-campus. You can either rent apartments, condos, townhomes, houses, and more. On-campus housing only ever has small dorms that all look the same. 

Want More Information on the Best Off-Campus Living?

After going through the pros and cons of living on-campus vs living off-campus, we hope you are ready to make your decision about where to reside in your college years. There are many benefits and drawbacks of both, and it will ultimately come down to your personal preference. 

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