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Florida State University packs about 43,569 students into Tallahassee, Florida's capital and a city of rolling hills, live oaks, and Spanish moss that feels more Old South than beach Florida. The heart of campus is the brick Westcott Building and its fountain, with Landis Green serving as the big shared lawn where everyone ends up between classes. Fall belongs to the Seminoles: Doak Campbell Stadium fills with garnet and gold, and the spear-planting tradition is the kind of thing you only get here. Downtown, Cascades Park gives you trails, an amphitheater, and open green space. The city shares its streets with two other campuses, so it runs young. Students walk, bike, or ride the free StarMetro buses, and the flat core makes getting around easy.
FSU does not require first-year students to live on campus, which sets it apart from a lot of big public universities. Freshmen are encouraged to live in the dorms for the social and academic perks, but plenty live off campus from day one, especially those staying with family in the Tallahassee area.
Because there is no live-on mandate, any FSU student is eligible to live off campus, and the off-campus search starts early with real competition. Tallahassee runs heavily on by-the-bed student complexes alongside older houses and duplexes in the neighborhoods between campus and downtown. Students with family nearby often stay at home.
Student buildings typically bill per person, lock you into a 12-month term through the summer, and add amenity or administrative fees on top of the advertised figure. Furnished units with utility bundles are common, so confirm whether internet, water, and electric caps are included before you sign anything.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Florida State University before signing a lease.
Tallahassee leases early because nothing forces freshmen on campus, so the whole student body is in the market. The big by-the-bed complexes near campus and College Town open renewals and preleasing for the next school year in the fall, and a lot of prime units are claimed by winter. If you want a specific building or a walkable College Town or Midtown spot, tour and sign between October and January. The earlier you commit, the more you have to choose from.
The peak runs October through January as returning students lock in the best near-campus and College Town units. Leases almost always start in August and run a full 12 months through the following July. Student high-rises in College Town fill first. Sign in this window for a walkable spot in price and location.
Searching late, look to the spring for relets and takeovers from students graduating, studying abroad, or leaving for summer. Houses and duplexes in Midtown and toward Tharpe turn over a bit later than the high-rises, so they can work as a late fallback. Expect fewer options and more distance from campus the longer you wait into the cycle.
A short walk from the stadium, College Town packs the most energy, with student high-rises that lease fast and sit at the higher end.
Between campus and downtown, Midtown mixes apartments, townhomes, and older houses with a laid-back student feel.
Downtown offers a walkable capital-city core near Cascades Park.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A bed in a by-the-bed student complex near FSU usually runs about $500-$900/month per person. Older houses and shared units around Midtown and Tharpe land at the lower end, while newer College Town high-rises sit higher. Plan on another $30-$100/month for utilities if they aren't bundled into the price.
Other universities in Tallahassee share a similar off-campus housing market.
Florida A&M University crowns one of Tallahassee's seven hills with about 9,184 Rattlers, a historic HBCU whose pride runs loud through homecoming and the legendary Marching 100. Set in Florida's capital, campus sits minutes from the state Capitol and shares a leafy, hilly city with another big university nearby. Just…
View housing near FAMUTallahassee State College is a Florida state college offering associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and workforce certificates, serving roughly 12,000 to 15,000 students in Tallahassee. Formerly known as Tallahassee Community College, the institution operates as an open-admissions commuter school with no on-campus…
View housing near Tallahassee State College