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Concordia University Saint Paul is a small private Lutheran university in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood of St Paul, enrolling roughly 3,000 students across programs in education, business, criminal justice, and the liberal arts. Founded in 1893 by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, CSP occupies a compact campus along Concordia Ave with residential streets on all sides. The nearby Green Line light rail at Hamline Station connects students to downtown St Paul and the broader Twin Cities. Surrounding neighborhoods of Hamline-Midway and Frogtown offer affordable housing, diverse dining, and strong local character. First-year students are required to live on campus, and the university competes in NCAA Division II athletics.
Concordia University Saint Paul requires all first-year students to live in on-campus residence halls for their freshman year. This policy supports academic transition and community building in the tight-knit Lutheran university environment. Exemptions are considered for students living with a parent or guardian within a defined commute radius.
Sophomores and above are eligible to live off campus, and many students choose to move into the surrounding Hamline-Midway and Frogtown neighborhoods. The area offers a mix of affordable apartment buildings, older duplexes, and shared houses within a short distance of campus. Students should expect to compete with other renters in this dense residential corridor of St Paul.
Most off-campus leases in the Hamline-Midway area run on a standard August-to-July or September-to-August cycle. Students who want proximity to campus should begin searching by February or March for fall availability. Waiting until May or June significantly narrows options, especially for well-priced units close to Concordia Ave.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Concordia University Saint Paul before signing a lease.
Students targeting the blocks nearest to Concordia Ave should begin their search in January or February. Landlords in Hamline-Midway typically list for fall during late winter, and the best-maintained units near campus fill first. Starting early also gives time to tour multiple properties, compare lease terms, and arrange co-signers if needed. Students moving from out of state benefit especially from getting ahead of the spring rush.
The busiest rental period around CSP runs from late February through April. During this window, most of the quality one-bedroom and two-bedroom units in Frogtown and Hamline-Midway are claimed. Listings on Zillow, Craigslist, and through local landlords tend to cluster here, and in-person tours fill up fast. Students who wait until May will find a thinner selection and may need to look further from campus toward the Midway corridor or near Snelling Ave.
Students searching in June or July can still find housing, but should widen their search to include areas along University Ave and the broader St Paul Midway district. Some landlords hold units or face vacancies from late cancellations, so direct outreach to property managers can surface unlisted availability. Short-term sublets from graduating students are also worth pursuing through CSP housing boards and social media groups.
The neighborhood directly surrounding Concordia Ave offers the most convenient off-campus living for CSP students. Rental housing ranges from older apartment buildings to converted duplexes, with rents generally lower than comparable Minneapolis neighborhoods across the river. The Green Line light rail at Hamline Station connects students to downtown St Paul and the University of Minnesota.
Frogtown sits just south of campus and is one of St Paul's most affordable and densely populated neighborhoods. Students willing to walk 10-15 minutes find a wider variety of units here, including larger apartments and house shares. The neighborhood has a vibrant mix of restaurants and grocery options along Rice Street and University Ave.
The stretch along Snelling Ave between University and Selby offers a slightly more commercial feel with access to coffee shops, transit, and nightlife. Apartment buildings here tend to be larger and more professionally managed than the scattered duplexes closer to campus. The Snelling Ave A-Line bus rapid transit connects directly through this corridor toward both St Paul and Minneapolis.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
One-bedroom apartments in Hamline-Midway and Frogtown typically rent for $800-$1,100 per month. Shared two-bedroom units run $600-$900 per person depending on the building. Older duplexes and basement units at the lower end are common in the blocks surrounding campus.
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