8 Cheap Student Apartments Near UTA Arlington Under $800
Cheap student apartments near UTA Arlington under $800 per month do exist — you just have to know where to look. Buffalo at Arlington, Centennial Court, Timber Brook, Campus Edge, Midtown Arlington, 101 Center, LIV+ Arlington, and The Arlie all carry per-bed tiers below the $800 ceiling, almost always in shared-room or 4-bedroom layouts. Most sit within a 10-minute walk or short Via rideshare ride to UTA’s main campus. Sign in March and rent specials can knock another $50–$100 off the sticker.
Key Takeaways
- Shared 4-bedroom units are how you actually clear the $800 line. Same building, double the rent if you go private-bed.
- Two blocks from campus: Buffalo at Arlington. Older property, sub-$800 tiers, and they run early-bird specials more aggressively than the newer mid-rises.
- UTA’s own apartment communities (Centennial Court, Timber Brook, Meadow Run) are technically on-campus but priced and sized like off-campus inventory — all-utilities-included rent in the $700–$900 range.
- Arlington’s Via On-Demand rideshare runs $3 per trip standard, $2 with the UTA student discount. That changes the geography of “near campus.”
- March–May is concession season. $300 off the first month, waived application fees, free parking — none of that is on the website.
- Skip the 12-month lease if you go home over summer. The 9-month academic-year leases sometimes cost a hair more per month but save you 3 months of paying for an empty room.
1. Buffalo at Arlington
Closest non-UTA-managed building on this list. Two blocks from campus on East Border, Buffalo’s 4-bed shared-bath layouts run $725–$795 per person furnished. The building shows its age — it’s been student housing for over a decade — but in-unit laundry, a pool, and that price are why it stays full. Pick this one if walking distance and rent are non-negotiable, and amenities are.
2. Centennial Court
Run by Campus Living Villages on UTA’s footprint. The math here is the all-in pricing: $750–$900 per person, but rent + utilities + internet are bundled. So a $750 unit is functionally a $750 unit, not $750 + $80 electric + $60 internet that adds up to $890. Studio, 1BR, 2BR, and 4BR layouts available; the 4BR shared-bath is the under-$800 path. Worth a closer look if you’re tired of negotiating internet plans.
3. Timber Brook
The cheapest legal option within a mile of UTA. Timber Brook is a UTA apartment community where one or two-bedroom layouts house two students per bedroom — yes, two beds in the same room. Per-bed pricing lands $600–$700 monthly, all-inclusive. Furnished, leased by the bed, no mystery fees. The tradeoff: you’re sharing a room with a stranger if you don’t bring a roommate. For students who optimize purely on monthly cost and aren’t precious about privacy, nothing else competes.
4. Campus Edge Apartments
Not technically a student building. Campus Edge sits east of campus on Mitchell, about a 10-minute walk to academic buildings. Because it’s a traditional apartment complex (not 100% student), rents track the broader Arlington market — pulled down by the working-professional demand. 1BRs from $785, 2BR splits at $550–$650 per person. The neighbors won’t all be 19. Some students see that as a feature.
5. Midtown Arlington
Across the street from UTA on East Mitchell. Newer construction means newer-construction prices, but the entry-tier 4-bed shared-bath units sneak in at $750–$799 per person, fully furnished, with the standard amenity package (pool, fitness center, study lounges). The math works if you go in with three roommates and lock the cheapest layout. The math falls apart if you go private-bed.
6. 101 Center
Downtown Arlington’s bet on mixed-use student living. 6–8 minute walk to UTA up Center Street, with the building sitting directly above Center Street’s bar and restaurant row. 4-bed shared-bath floor plans start at $760–$795 furnished. The noise is real; if you study at home, look elsewhere. If you’re coming home at 10 PM and going out at 11, this is your building.
7. LIV+ Arlington
Steps from UTA, 1 to 4 bedroom layouts, fully furnished, utility caps in the lease so a heat-wave electric bill doesn’t bankrupt you. The 4-bed shared-bath floor plans land at $755–$799 per person. Newer building, full amenity stack — gym, package room, lounges — and far less character than Buffalo. Tradeoff is comfort vs. price-per-amenity.
8. The Arlie
Over 1,200 beds. American Campus Communities runs the property — older phases on the south side of campus, newer phases on the north. The older phases are where the under-$800 4-bed shared layouts live, especially in early-signing windows. At this scale, the building functions more like a small neighborhood than an apartment complex, with its own pool circuits, pickleball court, and built-in social rotation. Right answer for incoming freshmen who want a low-effort social life. Wrong answer if you want quiet.
How to actually get under $800 at any of these
Three levers. Layout, lease length, timing.
Layout matters more than building. The same property shows $1,200 for a 1BR and $725 for a 4-bed shared bath. Filter the 4-bed shared layout first. Then filter on the building you want. Going the other way — picking the building first, then the layout — costs you $300+ a month every time.
Lease length affects monthly rent more than students realize. A 12-month lease typically runs $50–$100 less per month than a 9-month academic-year lease at the same building. If you stay in Arlington over summer (research job, internship, just staying), the 12-month is cheaper. If you go home, the math actually flips: $50 extra a month for 9 months ($450 total) beats paying full rent for 3 months you’re not there ($2,100+).
Timing is the lever students undervalue most. Arlington’s hardest concessions hit in March, April, and early May. Stack three of them in the same signing — $300 prepay discount, waived application fee, free first-month parking — and your effective first-year rent drops by close to a thousand dollars. The same unit listed in July is full price, take it or leave it.
For a faster compare, Find My Place’s UTA off-campus apartment search filters by per-person rent, distance to campus, and lease length — including the under-$800 cutoff if you set the slider.
The rideshare angle nobody mentions
Arlington runs Via On-Demand, a city-wide rideshare service. Standard fare: $3 per trip. UTA students pay $2 with their student ID. The service area covers UTA, downtown, and most major Arlington neighborhoods.
Run that math. A building 2 miles from campus that costs $200 less per month than a walking-distance unit nets you $150–$160/month even after twice-daily Via rides. That opens up Pantego, the area west of Cooper Street, and parts of north Arlington — places where 2BR apartment splits regularly land $500–$650 per person. Walking distance is one filter. Cost-per-month-after-transportation is a different one, and Arlington’s rideshare changes which filter wins.
Frequently Asked Questions About Affordable UTA Apartments
What’s the cheapest student apartment near UTA?
$600 per person at Timber Brook (shared-bedroom layout, on-campus apartment community). Off-campus only, the cheapest reliable picks are Buffalo at Arlington and Campus Edge’s shared 2BR splits.
Are 4-bedroom shared apartments worth it for the lower rent?
Depends entirely on the roommates. A 4-bed shared at $725 is a great deal if you have three friends ready to commit. If you’re being randomly matched, expect roommate friction — and the $200 you saved on rent doesn’t buy you peace of mind.
Can I find UTA student housing under $700 per month?
Yes — in two ways. Either go shared-bedroom (Timber Brook is the obvious pick), or live further out and budget for Via rideshare. Both work; both involve trade-offs.
When do UTA apartments offer their best rent specials?
March through early May is the main window. A smaller second wave hits in late July if a property still has open units in August. Don’t bother trying to negotiate in February — the deals haven’t been authorized yet — and don’t wait until after Labor Day, when properties have leverage and you don’t.
