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Off-Campus Housing Near Iowa State
$1,100+/unit
Fees may applyCampus Properties
$1,175+/unit
Fees may applyCORE Apartments
$1,150/unit
Fees may applyCrown Point
$880+/unit
Fees may applyGateway
$489+/unit
Fees may applyLegacy Tower 119 Stanton Ave
$600+/unit
Fees may applyMortensen Heights
$735+/unit
Fees may applySouth Oak
$397+/unit
Fees may applyThe Lofts
$439+/unit
Fees may applyThe Madison
$459+/unit
Fees may applyThe Social Reserve
$399+/unit
Fees may applyThe Social West Ames®
$1,600/unit
Fees may applyTotal Property Management 125 Campus Ave.
About Off-Campus Housing Near Iowa State University
Iowa State University spreads about 31,800 Cyclones across Ames, a college town that pretty much runs on the school's rhythm. The heart of it is Central Campus, a wide green lawn anchored by Lake LaVerne and its two resident swans, with the Campanile chiming over everything. Just south, Campustown buzzes along Welch Avenue, where students cluster between classes. Fall belongs to Jack Trice Stadium, named for the Cyclone who's the only Black athlete a major stadium honors, and winter packs Hilton Coliseum for the noise everyone calls Hilton Magic. Most folks walk the flat campus or hop a CyRide bus, which students ride free, so a car's more of a luxury than a need. Des Moines sits 30 minutes south when you want a city night.
Iowa State University Housing Requirements
Freshman Live-On Requirement
Iowa State does not force freshmen into the dorms, which is unusual. Most first-years still live on campus because it is the easy way to land friends and a routine, but it is a choice rather than a mandate.
Off-Campus Eligibility
You are free to sign a lease off campus from day one if you would rather, and plenty of sophomores make the jump. By junior year the majority have moved into Campustown or the wider Ames rental scene. The process is refreshingly low-drama, with no city certification hoops or occupancy permits to chase, so expect standard application checks, a security deposit, and often a guarantor if you lack rental history.
Lease Timing
Most student leases run a full 12 months tied to the August cycle, not just the school year, so you will pay through summer whether you stay or head home. Leases overwhelmingly start August 1, lining up with the fall move-in crush. Read the subletting clause before you sign if your summer plans are fuzzy.