Loading listings
Los Angeles is one of the most complex student housing markets in the country — it is home to UCLA, USC, LMU, Cal State LA, Cal State Northridge, and a dozen more institutions spread across a metro that covers hundreds of square miles. There is no single student neighborhood: UCLA students cluster in Westwood, USC students pack into University Park and adjacent South Central neighborhoods, and everyone else adapts to wherever their campus sits within the sprawl. Rents vary enormously by location, from $900/mo per person in the San Fernando Valley to $1,800+/mo near the Westside schools. The one consistent truth is that traffic makes location relative to your campus non-negotiable.
The primary UCLA student zone — walkable to campus, convenient, and with a real student-town feel. One of LA's more walkable neighborhoods. Fills by December for the following fall. Expensive.
Dense with student apartments and within walking distance of USC. More affordable than Westwood but the neighborhood requires more awareness of your surroundings. USC-adjacent blocks closest to campus are fine.
A transit-accessible middle ground between UCLA and USC, genuinely diverse, and more affordable than either campus zone. Popular with grad students and students who commute to multiple campuses or sites.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Los Angeles.
Metro Rail has expanded significantly in recent years — the B Line (Purple Line) serves Westwood with the recent extension, the E Line (Expo Line) connects USC to Santa Monica, and the A Line serves portions of the east side. Metro buses cover the broader city. For students near a Metro station, car-free life is achievable. For students off the rail system, LA's bus network is extensive but slow.
Westwood and USC's campus area are the most walkable parts of the city for students. The bike infrastructure has improved but LA is still fundamentally a car city — biking is viable for campus trips in some areas but requires comfort riding with traffic in most cases.
Highly variable. Campus parking at both UCLA and USC is limited and expensive. Westwood street parking is contested. Off-campus neighborhoods have varied parking situations. Having a car in LA is still the default for most students, though the expanding Metro system is changing that for students near rail lines.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
LA ranges from $900-$1,800+/mo per person depending on which campus you attend and how close to it you live. Westwood near UCLA and University Park near USC are the most expensive student zones. The Valley and commuter-belt neighborhoods run cheaper. Budget for significant variation.
Browse student housing near each Los Angeles-area university.