Michigan State University·East Lansing, MI·Updated Monthly
By the FMP Data Team · Reviewed July 1, 2026
Landmark on Grand River leads our July 2026 ranking of the 9 Best Overall student apartments near MSU with a 5.0/5 FMP Score, followed by Hannah Townhomes & Lofts and The Village at Chandler Crossing. Across the 9 properties reviewed, students keep coming back to amenities & shared spaces and management & maintenance: the overall signals that move a property up this ranking. Browse all off-campus housing near Michigan State University for every option.
Sorted by FMP Score from verified MSU reviews, high to low. Scores reflect current MSU reviews only.
why it ranked: The top overall pick near MSU, at 5.0/5 from verified reviews. I lived in a studio at Landmark on Grand River for 2 years and absolutely loved it. The studio was the perfect size, had a great layout, and made the most of the space without ever feeling…
| 1 | Landmark on Grand River | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $1009/mo |
| 2 | Hannah Townhomes & Lofts | 5.0/5 | 5 | – | $1030/mo |
| 3 | The Village at Chandler Crossing | 4.4/5 | 5 | – | $479/mo |
| 4 | The Lodges of East Lansing | 4.0/5 | 5 | – | $849/mo |
| 5 | NoCa Lofts | 3.4/5 | 5 | – | $839/mo |
| 6 | The Quarters East Lansing | 3.4/5 | 5 | – | $715/mo |
| 7 | The Abbot | 2.8/5 | 5 | – | $1200/mo |
| 8 | The Club at Chandler Crossings | 2.6/5 | 5 | – | $509/mo |
| 9 | Abbot Manor (910 Apartments | 1.0/5 | 5 | – | $725/mo |
Walk times are door-to-door to MSU campus. Rent is per person, per month.
FMP Score, high to low. That’s the whole ranking. It’s our overall measure of a property, combining verified review scores with signals reviews miss, like how current the listing is kept and how responsive management is. Ties go to the property with more verified reviews.
Every property near MSU can appear, but it takes a minimum number of verified reviews before we score and rank it. Properties under that bar sit below every ranked property and move up automatically as reviews come in.
The FMP Score blends the social, management, and quality scores from verified reviews with signals that a place is actively and well run, like how up to date its listing is kept and how consistently management responds to residents. It’s built to surface genuinely well-run properties, not just the highest raw review average.
We ran every verified overall review for MSU-area apartments through theme analysis. These are the themes students bring up most when a place feels well-rounded, by share of the reviews that mention them.
Based on AI analysis of verified MSU overall reviews, refreshed monthly. Percentages show the share of reviews that mention each theme; most reviews mention more than one. See our complete MSU review data →
each fmp ranking re-ranks the same properties by a different lens (management and quality among them) and keeps its own list, refreshed monthly.
The most active social scenes: shared spaces, resident events, and roommate matching, scored from verified reviews.
see the ranking →The most responsive, reliable landlords: maintenance turnaround, lease transparency, and deposit fairness.
see the ranking →The best unit and building quality: condition, upkeep, and amenities, scored from verified reviews.
see the ranking →Landmark on Grand River leads our July 2026 ranking of the 9 Best Overall student apartments near MSU with a 5.0/5 FMP Score, followed by Hannah Townhomes & Lofts and The Village at Chandler Crossing.
This list is ranked by one number: each property's overall score from verified reviews. Students rate a property's overall 1 to 5, and we average those scores, counting recent reviews more heavily than older ones. No self-reported data from landlords.
The best overall apartments score highly across everything students rate (social scene, management, and unit quality), not just one. This ranking uses each property's overall rating from verified reviews.
Monthly. We re-pull verified reviews and re-score every property at the start of each month, so the order reflects the most recent 24 months of student feedback. The “updated” date at the top of the page shows the latest refresh.
There's a minimum number of verified reviews to rank by score, and we don't publish the exact bar so it can't be gamed. Properties under it still appear, below every qualified property and ordered by review count, so a 5.0 from one review never outranks a 4.5 from thirty. Once a property collects enough reviews, it moves into the scored ranking automatically.
It's fully independent. There's no pay-to-rank. Position is set by verified reviews alone. Property managers can't buy placement, remove reviews, or influence the score.
If your property is on this ranking, you've earned an FMP Award. Reach out and we'll set you up with the official badge for your website, social, and print, free. It's how renters know your ranking is real.
student apartments near MSU
why it ranked: A podium finish for overall near MSU, 5.0/5 from verified reviews. I’ve lived here for one year with my roommates and we already signed our lease for next year!! We love the community around here and the events they offer.
why it ranked: A podium finish for overall near MSU, 4.4/5 from verified reviews. Our son, who attends MSU, was recently informed that his lease could not be renewed due to limited availability and space constraints. Unfortunately, this placed him in a difficult…
why it ranked: Holds a 4.0/5 overall score from verified MSU reviews. Great place.
why it ranked: Holds a 3.4/5 overall score from verified MSU reviews. NoCa Lofts is a great place to live, and the leasing office is a massive reason why. The whole team is always attentive and…
why it ranked: Holds a 3.4/5 overall score from verified MSU reviews. Beautiful complex wonderful workers especially damya who helped me she was wonderful,energy was outstanding. She was a great help…
why it ranked: Holds a 2.8/5 overall score from verified MSU reviews. I really enjoy living here—it’s a nice, quiet place and just feels easy to call home. Anytime I’ve needed help, the staff has…
why it ranked: Holds a 2.6/5 overall score from verified MSU reviews. Office staff is helpful, the units are spacious, and the location is amazing for the price.
why it ranked: Holds a 1.0/5 overall score from verified MSU reviews. Honestly I’m a little lost for words with the experience that I had at this building today. I am a disabled wheelchair user…