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Off-Campus Housing Near CU Denver
About Off-Campus Housing Near University of Colorado Denver
CU Denver is an urban campus on the Auraria campus complex in downtown Denver, shared with Metropolitan State University and Community College of Denver. Students are mostly from the Denver metro area and commute from throughout the city — there is no single dominant off-campus neighborhood for CU Denver students the way there is for a traditional residential campus. The neighborhoods most popular with students who do live near campus include Capitol Hill, Baker, Five Points, and RiNo — walkable, transit-accessible, and affordable relative to Denver's overall market. Shared rooms in these neighborhoods typically run $900–$1,300/month. Denver's RTD light rail and bus system connects the Auraria campus to most city neighborhoods effectively.
University of Colorado Denver Housing Requirements
Live-On Requirements
CU Denver has no on-campus housing and no live-on requirements. Students are entirely self-directed in finding housing throughout the Denver metro area. The university is designed as an urban commuter institution, and housing is treated as a personal logistics matter rather than a campus resource.
Off-Campus Eligibility
No contracted or approved housing system exists. Students rent freely throughout Denver and the broader metro. CU Denver's student services office provides housing resources. The most important factor is proximity to an RTD route that connects to the Auraria campus downtown.
Lease Timing
Denver's rental market runs on standard 12-month cycles with summer being the primary turnover period. Starting 2–3 months before your desired move-in is generally sufficient. Popular neighborhoods like Cap Hill and Baker have enough inventory that early searching is about getting the right unit rather than racing to beat other students.
