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Concordia University Wisconsin sits on a bluff above Lake Michigan in Mequon, a quiet suburb about 20 minutes north of Milwaukee, with roughly 5,492 students on its lakefront campus. The setting does a lot of the talking: 200 wooded acres, a long stretch of shoreline, and an underground tunnel network that keeps you out of the worst lake-effect winters. Mequon itself is leafy and residential, with parks, trails, and a slower pace, while downtown Milwaukee and its lakefront festivals are an easy drive south. Campus life centers on the Falcons, with Freddy the Falcon working the crowd at games and Welcome Back Weekend turning fall into bonfires, lawn games, and tradition. Most students get around by car, and the lake is always right there.
Concordia requires full-time first-year and second-year traditional undergraduates who are 20 or younger as of the first day of classes to live in university residence halls. There are eight halls running from singles to suites. Plan on living on campus through your sophomore year unless you qualify for an exemption.
Exemptions exist for students who are older, married, living with family nearby, or commuting, so check with Residence Life early if you think you qualify. Most students move off campus as juniors or seniors, or once they age out of the live-on rule. Mequon is a small, residential suburb, so the rental pool around campus is limited and tends to be houses and smaller apartment buildings rather than big student complexes.
Leases generally begin in summer, so plan to sign by spring and move in before the fall term. Read leases closely for who handles snow removal and lawn care, and confirm occupancy limits before you pack roommates in. Ask whether heat is included, since Wisconsin winters make that line matter.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Concordia University-Wisconsin before signing a lease.
Mequon runs on a standard suburban rental calendar, not a frantic student rush, but the good options near Concordia still go early because there are not many of them. Start looking in January or February for a lease that begins the following summer. This is especially true if you want a house within a short drive of the bluff. Line up roommates before you tour, since the better houses lease as whole units fast.
Classes start in late August, so aim to sign by spring and move in during the summer to settle before the semester. By spring, the closest and best-kept places are usually spoken for. Demand concentrates on the limited houses and small buildings in Mequon near the bluff. Most students at Concordia who want a close-in spot have committed by spring.
If you are searching late, summer can still turn up sublets and last-minute openings as leases turn over. January brings a smaller second wave when spring-semester arrivals and graduating tenants shuffle. Widen your search toward Thiensville and the northern Milwaukee suburbs for more choices. Having roommates lined up helps you move fast when something opens.
The suburb around campus is leafy and residential with houses and small apartment buildings close to the lake, and it leases first. It is the closest option to the bluff campus.
The small village tucked inside Mequon is walkable and more central if you want shops and a town feel nearby. Cedarburg, just northwest, is a historic mill town with character and an easy commute.
Glendale and the northern Milwaukee suburbs sit to the south and widen your options if you do not mind a short drive. Whitefish Bay, closer to Milwaukee along the lake, is another tidy lakefront option a bit farther out.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A room in a shared house or apartment around Mequon usually runs about $600-$950/month per person, with closer and newer places at the top of that range and shared houses a bit lower. Whole one-bedrooms in the suburb sit higher. Budget another $50-$130/month for utilities, and expect heat to matter in winter, so ask whether it's included before you sign.