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Community College of Allegheny County is a large public two-year college serving Pittsburgh from its main campus on Ridge Avenue in the North Side. CCAC operates campuses across Allegheny County, including Boyce in Monroeville, South in West Mifflin, and West Hills in Oakdale, giving students a convenient commute from nearly any part of the region. The Ridge Avenue campus sits close to the North Shore riverfront and the Mexican War Streets historic district, putting students in a walkable urban environment with easy access to transit, restaurants, and the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. CCAC offers over 130 degree and certificate programs in nursing, allied health, information technology, culinary arts, and business.
CCAC is a commuter college and has no on-campus housing at any of its campuses, including the main Ridge Avenue location in Pittsburgh's North Side. All students, including first-year students, live off campus and arrange their own housing.
Because there is no residential program, every CCAC student is automatically an off-campus resident from day one. Students draw from a wide range of Pittsburgh neighborhoods and suburbs depending on which campus they attend.
Most CCAC students sign leases on standard Pittsburgh rental cycles, with August move-ins aligning to the fall semester start. Starting your search in May or June gives you the best selection across the North Side, Lawrenceville, Shadyside, and South Side corridors.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Community College of Allegheny County before signing a lease.
Students who begin looking in February or March lock in the strongest apartments near CCAC's North Side campus before spring turnover tightens supply. The neighborhoods closest to Ridge Avenue, including the Mexican War Streets and Allegheny West, see units claimed quickly once the weather warms. Early movers can also compare rates across multiple Pittsburgh neighborhoods served by Port Authority routes. Starting early also gives you time to evaluate commute times to CCAC's Boyce, South, and West Hills campuses if you take classes at more than one location.
April through June is Pittsburgh's peak rental season, when landlords list the largest share of available units and competition is highest. Near-campus areas like the North Side, North Shore, and Deutschtown fill up fast during this window. Students sharing apartments with roommates should aim to have their lease signed by mid-May to secure preferred floor plans. Waiting until July means fewer choices and less negotiating room on price.
Students searching in July or August will still find units, particularly in Pittsburgh's larger rental submarkets like Carrick, Beechview, and Brookline, where supply is steadier. Corporate and private landlords occasionally list late vacancies on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace when previous tenants cancel. Flexible move-in dates and willingness to sign a shorter-term lease can open additional doors in a tight market.
The closest walkable neighborhoods to the Ridge Avenue campus, offering rowhouses, apartments, and converted Victorian flats within a few blocks of CCAC. The Mexican War Streets historic district provides a mix of price points, and the North Shore trail system connects to downtown in minutes.
One of Pittsburgh's most active rental markets, Lawrenceville sits a short bus ride from the North Side campus along the 54C corridor. Butler Street provides groceries, coffee shops, and transit options, and rents span a wide range from studio walk-ups to newer construction units.
Students who prefer a quieter residential feel gravitate toward Shadyside, while East Liberty offers newer apartment buildings with modern amenities near the Penn Avenue commercial strip. Both neighborhoods connect well to CCAC's downtown-adjacent campus via Port Authority buses.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Pennsylvania residents pay tuition in the range of approximately $130 to $160 per credit hour depending on county residency status, with Allegheny County residents typically receiving the lowest rate. Full-time students taking 15 credits per semester pay roughly $2,000 to $2,400 in tuition per term before fees. Financial aid, Pell Grants, and the Pennsylvania State Grant are all available to eligible students.
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