Cost of Living – Housing

Rent

• 8.7% paid less than $150 a month in rent
• 6.4% paid between $150 and $300 a month in rent
• 31.7% paid between $300 and $450 a month in rent
• 17.4% paid between $450 and $600 a month in rent
• 17.4% paid between $600 and $750 a month in rent
• 7.8% paid between $750 and $900 a month in rent
• 10.6% paid more than $900 a month in rent

 Another way to look at it:

• 46.8% paid less than $450 a month in rent
• 53.2% paid more than $450 a month in rent
• Two-thirds of students paid between $300 and $750 a month
• The most common rent range was $300 to $450 a month (31.7%)
• More than half of students paid more than $450 and more than a third paid in excess of $600. 
• Budgeting up to $600 per month for your share of the rent would put you in the lower two-thirds and should be a safe estimate.  To get to the lowest end of the scale, it’s likely you would need one or more roommates and may need to share a bedroom.  The middle to upper end of the range might allow you to have a one-bedroom unit or share a multi-bedroom unit. 
• Budgeting less than $450 per month would mean that you will have fewer options and roommates and possibly a shared bedroom may be required. 

Average rent of the most expensive on campus apartment for 2012-13 is $646 per month, including utilities, internet, and cable tv.

Food

• 5.5% paid less than $75 per month for food
• 14.4% paid $76-$150 per month for food
• 30.3% paid $151-$225 per month for food
• 22.0% paid $226-$300 per month for food
• 13.5% paid $301-$375 per month for food
• 11.0% paid $376-$450 per month for food
• 3.4% paid more than $450 per month for food

Another way to look at it:

• More than 70% of students paid $300 or less per month for food.
• The most common range is $151-$225
• More than half of students paid between $150 and $300 per month
• 50.2% of students paid less than $225/month (only 20% paid less than $150)
• Budgeting $300 per month should be adequate and it is likely you could spend less.

Average cost of the most popular campus meal plan for 2012-13 is $307 per month.

Utilities

• 42% of students pay $100 or more per month for utilities (30% pay less than $50).  Depending on your choices, it may be safe to budget $100 per month for utilities.
  

Internet

• 22% of students pay nothing for internet (though they may not have service where they live and may depend on free WiFi)
• 48% of students pay less than $25 per month for internet (again, WiFi may play a role and some may not have high speed access)
• 80% of students pay less than $50 per month for internet; to ensure high speed access at home, $50 may be a safe budget figure to use.  You could pay less. 

Cable

• 64% pay nothing for cable (they don’t have it or it’s included with their rent)

Cable is included in your rent for on campus apartment living rooms.  First year housing residents have access to TV lounges with 46" HDTVs and HD cable.

Transportation

• 53% of students paid more than $100 per month
• 32% paid less than $50 a month
• Given the costs of car insurance and gas, this may assume they do not have their own car
• 177 had no car (31.4%) 

Walking is fast and free if you live on campus.