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Berkeley is one of the most competitive student rental markets in the country, shaped by UC Berkeley's enormous enrollment and a housing supply that has barely grown in decades. Rents near campus regularly exceed $1,800/mo for a private room, and shared apartments in the Southside and Northside neighborhoods fill before fall semester ends for the following year. The city compensates with exceptional transit, a walkable urban core, and the unique intellectual energy that comes with being adjacent to one of the world's great research universities. The two student neighborhoods everyone knows are Southside (south of campus, dense and social) and the Gourmet Ghetto area in North Berkeley (quieter, more expensive, popular with grad students).
Directly south of campus — the densest student zone with the most apartments, restaurants, and nightlife. Fills first. Expensive for what you get, but unmatched for walkability and campus proximity.
North of campus, quieter and more residential. Higher base rents but better unit quality. Graduate students and upperclassmen who want neighborhood character over party-row proximity.
More affordable than Southside but requires biking, busing, or BART to campus. Good for students who want Berkeley proximity at a slight discount. BART access to San Francisco is a genuine plus.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Berkeley.
BART, AC Transit buses, and the UC Berkeley campus shuttles form one of the better transit networks in California. BART connects Berkeley to downtown Oakland, San Francisco, and the broader Bay Area. AC Transit's Transbay lines and local routes cover most of Berkeley with good frequency. Students living near BART stations can genuinely live car-free.
UC Berkeley's campus and the Southside area are highly walkable. The city has a network of bike lanes and cycling is the dominant commute mode for many students. The Strawberry Creek trail system provides off-street connections. Downtown Berkeley and Telegraph Avenue are pedestrian-heavy. Biking toward Oakland is practical and well-used.
On-campus parking is limited and expensive. The Telegraph and Bancroft areas near campus have street parking but it is competitive and often permit-required. Most serious Berkeley students do not bother with a car for campus life — the transit and biking networks make it unnecessary.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Berkeley is expensive. Shared units near campus typically run $1,200-$1,800/mo per person. Private rooms in the Southside easily exceed $1,500/mo. It is one of the pricier university markets in the country, driven by limited supply and massive UC Berkeley enrollment.
Browse student housing near each Berkeley-area university.