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Chatham University is a small private university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, set on a wooded campus along Woodland Road in the Shadyside neighborhood near the Squirrel Hill border. Founded in 1869 as a women's college, Chatham became coeducational in 2015 and today enrolls students in arts, sciences, health professions, and sustainability programs. Chatham's East End location puts students close to Shadyside, the academic corridor of Oakland, and the commercial strips of Squirrel Hill. Class sizes are intentionally small, and the university emphasizes experiential learning and environmental stewardship. Pittsburgh offers students an affordable, livable city with a growing tech and health sector.
First-year students at Chatham University are required to live on campus at the Shadyside Woodland Road campus. The residence halls on the wooded grounds give new students a built-in community before they navigate Pittsburgh's rental market on their own.
Sophomores and upperclassmen who have met the live-on requirement are free to rent off campus. Students most commonly move into Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, or Point Breeze, all of which are within a short bus ride or a walkable distance from campus depending on exact location.
Pittsburgh's Shadyside and Squirrel Hill rental markets fill quickly due to demand from multiple universities. Students should begin searching in January or February for leases starting the following August. The best apartments on Walnut Street corridors and in Squirrel Hill's Murray Avenue area tend to go by March.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Chatham University before signing a lease.
Students who start looking in January gain the most leverage in Pittsburgh's East End rental market. Shadyside apartments along Ellsworth Avenue and in the streets off Walnut fill faster than most students expect. Beginning early also gives you time to understand Pittsburgh Transit bus routes, which vary in reliability by neighborhood.
February through April is when most quality units in Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, and Point Breeze are listed and leased. Landlords in these neighborhoods know they have strong demand from Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, and Chatham students alike. By late April the inventory of well-located, well-maintained units is largely committed for the coming fall.
Students who miss the spring window can find apartments in the adjacent neighborhoods of Friendship and East Liberty, where rents are often more affordable and transit access is still solid. Summer turnover does produce some late listings in Squirrel Hill. Check Craigslist Pittsburgh, PadMapper, and local Facebook rental groups for last-minute openings.
Shadyside is the closest walkable neighborhood to the Woodland Road campus, centered on Walnut Street and Ellsworth Avenue. It has a dense collection of row houses, apartment buildings, and walkable shops and restaurants. Rents are among the higher end for Pittsburgh but the proximity to campus and the neighborhood's amenities justify the premium for many students.
Squirrel Hill, accessible via the 61 bus corridor, is a dense, livable neighborhood centered on Murray Avenue and Forbes Avenue. It offers a wide range of apartment sizes at relatively competitive rents and a strong local dining and grocery scene. Many Chatham upperclassmen choose Squirrel Hill for its combination of value and walkability.
Point Breeze sits just east of campus and offers quieter, tree-lined residential streets with more spacious apartments and houses. It is less retail-dense than Shadyside or Squirrel Hill but appeals to students who want more space and a residential feel while staying close to campus.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Shadyside apartments closest to campus tend to run $1,100 to $1,700 per month for a one-bedroom. Shared units in Squirrel Hill or Point Breeze can bring per-person costs down to $700 to $1,000. Pittsburgh is generally more affordable than comparable East Coast cities.
Other universities in Pittsburgh share a similar off-campus housing market.
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