Hi! My student may apply to USC but we have one question. How many years do students get guaranteed on-campus housing at USC?
If they live off campus, is it a safe area around USC, and is it expensive? Are there a lot of college apartments, rented only to USC students near campus?
Thanks!
If an admitted student lives on-campus as a freshman (as the vast majority do), they are also guaranteed USC housing for their sophomore year too. My older daughter also managed to secure USC Housing for her junior year, but she had to seek non-USC Housing for her senior year. Many do manage get to get USC Housing for all four years, but such is not guaranteed due to space restrictions and lottery allotments. Many also simply choose to live off campus to save money versus the cost of USC Housing.
Yes… the monitored DPS zone surrounding campus is safe & well patrolled. Housing around USC can be fairly expensive, but there are also a number of cheaper options. My daughter ended up saving a great deal her senior year by securing a privately owned (non-USC) apartment. Yes… there are many apartments near campus primarily occupied by USC students.
Our experience has been that housing is readily available and much better than what we first feared while she was only a prospective student. And now I have a second daughter at USC as well.
Good Luck
@WWWard Thanks, that’s very helpful!
you’re welcome
Our kids are both USC alums. Both lived in the dorm their 1st year. 2nd year, both lived in USC apartments. 3rd year and 4th year, S lived in non-USC apartments safe & very near campus (cheaper than USC units). 3rd year D lived in Gateway and 4th year D lived in a non-USC apartment. Her places were all safe and very near campus as well.
After graduating, D has lived in several different LA places—a room in a house, an apartment and now another room in a house further from USC.
There are a lot of housing options for students, ranging from dorms, university apartments, private apartments and homes, to frat/sorority houses, etc. My kids and their friends were pretty happy with the range of options, availability, quality, safety, and prices.
Thanks @HImom - very helpful!
Dear HImom,
I have two children about to start at USC Gould the fall of 2019 , would it possible to share where your children found safe and cheaper apartments near campus. Even though they are siblings, USC will not allow them to share on campus housing since they are a boy and girl, hence I’m looking for an apartment for them. Thank you
Best,
Nina
Been dealing with housing at USC every year for 9 years now. Safe not a problem, cheaper and close to campus do not go that well together and is the bigger challenge. The closer to campus, the more expensive it is. We have worked with First Choice Housing with good results. Kevin in their rental office is super nice. Do not like Stuho as property managers, terrible experiences with them.
There is the gender neutral floor of Cardinal Gardens and Century. But these are grad students right? So like 22+? In that case they don’t qualify for undergrad housing wich CG and Century are.
@ninagg I will DM you one option that I know of…