Does St. Petersburg College Have Dorms? Where Students Rent

No, St. Petersburg College does not have dorms. SPC offers no on-campus housing at any of its Pinellas County campuses, so every student rents off campus or lives at home. On Find My Place, one-bedrooms within 1.5 miles of SPC's St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus list from $1,265 a month, while the newer towers near the Downtown Center start above $2,000.

Key Takeaways

• SPC has no residence halls and no live-on requirement. You find your own place.
• Pick your campus first, then your apartment. Clearwater to the Downtown Center is roughly 15 miles in a straight line.
• Near the Gibbs Campus, Lakeshore Apartments lists a one-bedroom at $1,265, 1.5 miles away.
• Downtown St. Pete costs the most. Beacon 430, a few blocks from the Downtown Center, starts at $2,095.
• Your SPC ID is a free PSTA bus pass (every route, trolleys included), which makes a cheaper apartment farther out a real option.

Does St. Petersburg College Have Dorms or Any Student Housing?

St. Petersburg College does not have dorms, and it doesn't run apartments for students either. SPC's own international student office puts it plainly: the college "does not provide housing" and "all students must arrange for their own housing." College Board data lists 100% of SPC students as living off campus or commuting, which is why FMP tracks rentals near every campus on its SPC student housing page.

That's common for a Florida College System school. SPC is a commuter college with more than 19,000 undergraduates, most of them part-time, spread across campuses from Tarpon Springs down to Midtown St. Pete. A central dorm wouldn't be close to most students anyway.

What about USF St. Petersburg? It's a different school with its own residence halls. Its 2025-26 housing agreement limits rooms to students accepted to USF and enrolled in USF courses, so an SPC enrollment alone won't get you in.

Is SPC Building Student Housing?

Not dorms. The closest thing is a city project, not a college one. St. Petersburg bought SPC's former Gibbs Wellness Center site at 7045 Burlington Ave N in 2024 for $4.2 million and plans about 105 affordable townhomes for sale, according to St. Pete Rising's project tracker.

SPC students and employees get first right of refusal on 30% of those homes. Two catches, though. They're for buying, not renting, and buyers must meet an income cap. As of the latest public update we found (June 2025), four developers had bid and no builder had been picked. Don't plan your fall semester around it.

Where SPC Students Rent Near Each Campus

Start with the campus you'll actually attend. The prices below are "lists from" numbers on FMP pages, checked October 23, 2026. Unless noted, these are whole-unit prices, since rent climbs with each added bedroom at each property. Distances to campuses other than Gibbs are straight-line miles we measured from each listing's map location, so expect a longer drive.

(One quirk worth knowing: the "St. Petersburg College" distance in FMP's commute widget is measured to the Gibbs Campus. If you're at Clearwater or Seminole, do your own math.) FMP's SPC page lists 23 places in all.

St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus (6605 Fifth Ave N)

Gibbs has the deepest bench of mid-priced apartments of any SPC campus on FMP. The Drake at St. Pete on 68th St N is 0.8 miles away, with one-bedrooms from $1,444. Lakeshore Apartments on 30th Ave N sits 1.5 miles out and lists a one-bedroom at $1,265 and two-bedrooms from $1,525.

If you're splitting with roommates, a three-bedroom unit at 7228 35th Ave N (1.8 miles out) lists at $2,100. If that price covers the whole unit (ask), it's about $700 each with three people. A Gulfport listing at 5731 17th Ave S, 2.0 miles from Gibbs, starts at $1,000, but its plans are named "Room B" and "Room C," so ask whether you're renting a room or the whole unit.

Downtown Center (244 Second Ave N)

Downtown is walkable and pricey. Beacon 430 on 3rd Ave S is about 0.4 miles from the Downtown Center and lists studios from $2,095. 930 Central Flats (about 0.7 miles) starts at $2,096, and Windsor Central Arts on 7th St S starts at $2,160.

Want downtown-adjacent for less? Nordica Flats on 16th St N lists one-bedrooms from $1,349, about 1.4 miles north of the Downtown Center.

Health Education Center (7200 66th St N, Pinellas Park)

Health program students have a close option here. Belcher Park at 7800 Belcher Rd is about 0.6 miles from the HEC and lists two-bedrooms from $1,495, so $748 each if you split it.

Seminole Campus (9200 113th St N)

Casa Corsicana on Rose St is about 1.3 miles from the Seminole Campus. One-bedrooms list from $1,505 and a three-bedroom from $2,245. Its FMP page shows SPC at 6.6 miles, but that's the distance to Gibbs, not to Seminole.

Clearwater Campus (2465 Drew St)

Clearwater students have the thinnest options on FMP so far. Beltrees Plaza in Dunedin is about 3.8 miles from the campus, with one-bedrooms from $1,125. Midway Court on Jasper St in Clearwater is about 4.1 miles out and lists one-bedrooms from $1,145.

Tarpon Springs Campus (600 E Klosterman Rd)

Nothing on FMP's SPC page sits close to Tarpon Springs yet. The nearest listing, Beltrees Plaza in Dunedin, is roughly 8.5 miles south. If you're at Tarpon Springs, plan on searching north Pinellas yourself and driving in.

Do You Need a Car Without SPC Dorms?

Not always. Your SPC ID works as a free PSTA bus pass through the U-PASS program, which has run since 2014. Per SPC's free bus rides page, any student enrolled in at least one credit course rides every PSTA route free, express routes and trolleys included. You just show your ID when you board.

That changes the math. Lakeshore at $1,265 plus a free bus can beat a $2,095 downtown studio you walk from. Ride the route at your class time before you sign, though. A 20-minute drive can take a lot longer by bus.

How Much Does Housing Cost Without St. Petersburg College Dorms?

Plan on $1,125 to $1,505 a month for a one-bedroom near most SPC campuses, based on FMP listings, and $2,000 or more near the Downtown Center. Most of the 23 places on FMP's SPC page are conventional apartments that quote rent for the whole unit, not by the bed.

Roommates are the biggest lever. A $1,495 two-bedroom at Belcher Park is $748 a person. A $2,100 three-bedroom near Gibbs works out near $700 each, if the price covers the whole unit. Living alone costs you about double. Nearly every listing above notes that monthly fees aren't posted yet, so ask for the full monthly number before you apply. Browse everything in town on the St. Petersburg student apartments page.

Frequently Asked Questions About St. Petersburg College Dorms

Does SPC have on-campus housing at any campus?

No. None of SPC's campuses (Clearwater, St. Petersburg/Gibbs, Seminole, Tarpon Springs, the Downtown and Midtown centers or the Health Education Center) has residence halls. Every SPC student arranges housing on their own.

Can SPC students live in USF St. Petersburg dorms?

Not on an SPC enrollment alone. USF St. Petersburg's 2025-26 housing agreement only covers students accepted to USF and enrolled in USF courses. SPC students rent off campus or live at home.

What's the cheapest place to live near St. Petersburg College?

$1,125 for a one-bedroom at Beltrees Plaza in Dunedin is the lowest clear whole-apartment price on FMP's SPC page, and it suits Clearwater students. Near Gibbs, Lakeshore Apartments starts at $1,265. Splitting a two- or three-bedroom brings most people to $700 to $750 each.

Is SPC building dorms?

We found no dorm plans. The city of St. Petersburg plans about 105 affordable for-sale townhomes on SPC's former Gibbs Wellness Center site, with 30% offered first to SPC students and staff. As of the latest public update (June 2025), no developer had been selected.

When should I start looking for an apartment near SPC?

January through March, if you want an August move-in. That's the window FMP's SPC page recommends, because the Pinellas rental market tightens in spring. Leave time to tour, compare fees and test the commute to your campus.