Students who live on-campus are also surrounded by other college students, and when you move off-campus, that may or may not be the case. Staying in a dorm at college is one of the many highly anticipated things students look forward to when going to college; however, a lot of people would also recommend staying at home with family or at your own place over staying in a dorm to put financial responsibilities at ease.

With house prices rising, and with the state of our economy, financial responsibility quickly becomes complex for young adults and new students as they start to become independent.

For students at Everett Community College, the total cost of a studio apartment for fall of 2022 is $4,450 per quarter. Included are utilities, wifi and furniture. A studio apartment offered by Library Place on Hoyt Avenue in Everett is $1,900 per month including utilities, appliances, and wifi. Although the apartment seems cheaper, $1,900 per month means $4,750 per quarter, so the actual price difference is not huge.

“Living in a small apartment was much more financially sustainable than living on campus,” EVCC student Autumn Haines said.

While being decently cheaper, a studio apartment outside of EVCC appears to be a higher quality and more welcoming living space. Housing options at EVCC come with more benefits, such as access to a fitness center, community lounges, dorm activities, and easier bill management. Dorm activities are exclusively for EVCC residents and include planned trips or excursions for students to spend and enjoy time together.

Heading down towards Seattle, the University of Washington offers various choices for residence. The UW offers studio apartments for around $5,464 per quarter. Included in the apartment is wifi and furniture, just like every other option. The UW also offers free bike storage, access to a fitness center, and community lounges and kitchens.

Off-campus housing in the University District prices range from around $700-$4000 for a studio apartment, depending on the specific size and rooms. Fifty Two Apartments offers a studio apartment for $1,325 per month or $3,312.5 per quarter. The room has wifi, furniture and appliances, in-unit laundry machines and a fitness center.

Off-campus housing in the University District is less financially demanding. Not only are many apartments within walking distance from the UW, but they offer the same amenities, if not more, than on-campus housing.

Heading way over to Chief Joseph Village at Washington State University, 2 bedroom apartments go for $628 per month, including wifi, and utilities. There are no in-room laundry machines, and not too much info about amenities is given about the rooms. Given the sufficiently lower price, it is safe to assume that an apartment for WSU like Chief Joseph is likely less fancy and new, and more dedicated to function. An apartment near Chief Joseph village offered by The Ruckus goes for $875 per month, including in-room laundry machines, air conditioning, and wifi.

Chief Joseph Village offers better prices for more functional living spaces, while other places in more populated areas offer higher prices with newer and better amenities.

For many students, saving as much money as they can is a high priority, and it is important to look in depth at where you plan on living and take into account every factor. While being a bit cheaper, for many students off-campus housing is a slightly better option for spending less money.