Student housing in United States
How student housing works in United States, including providers, queues, deposits, contracts and practical risks to check before signing.
Read the complete United States study abroad guide.
Housing
Undergraduates usually live in university dormitories, often required to in the first year, and the cost is bundled with a meal plan into a single room and board charge. It is expensive and it is simple.
Graduate students generally rent privately, and here the American rental market asks for things a new arrival cannot produce: a credit history, a Social Security number, and often proof of income at three times the rent. The usual answers are a guarantor service, a larger deposit, or university managed graduate housing. Ask the international office what other students actually do.
Leases run twelve months and begin in August or September, which does not match a nine month academic year. Subletting over the summer is normal and often necessary.
Never wire money for an apartment you have not seen, and be sceptical of any listing that requires payment before a viewing. This fraud specifically targets arriving international students each August.
Source: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/
Common questions
What should international students know about housing in United States?
Dorms for undergraduates. Graduate renting needs credit history you do not have, so ask about guarantor schemes.