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Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a big, friendly Great Lakes city on the shore of Lake Michigan, with a working-class backbone and a genuinely good arts and festival scene. It's a real college city: the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee anchors the East Side while Marquette University sits just west of downtown, and between them students fan out across the city. The most student-heavy turf is the Lower East Side and Murray Hill near UWM, plus bohemian Riverwest and the Brady Street and Downtown districts. The white-winged Milwaukee Art Museum on the lakefront is the city's signature landmark, the RiverWalk threads downtown along the Milwaukee River, and summer brings a near-constant run of lakefront festivals and Brewers and Bucks game days.
Sit right next to UWM, the densest student turf with walk-to-class apartments and quick lake access. It is the top pick for proximity to campus.
Just across the river, Riverwest draws students who want a bohemian, artsy scene and a tight-knit feel. It is popular for its creative vibe.
Packs nightlife and restaurants into a walkable strip popular with both campuses. It suits students who want energy at their doorstep.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Milwaukee.
UWM and Marquette students ride MCTS buses free with a U-PASS, and the system covers the whole city. Frequent routes run along the East Side and downtown corridors. The downtown streetcar, The Hop, loops through the central business district and lakefront for free. Between the U-PASS and The Hop, transit is an easy default near campus.
The East Side, Riverwest, and downtown are walkable and bikeable. The lakefront and RiverWalk paths are great for getting around on foot. Most students near campus cover daily trips walking or biking. The connected paths make both easy in the warmer months.
A car gives you more reach to outer neighborhoods and suburbs. Most students near UWM or Marquette get by fine on the bus, a bike, and their own two feet. Street parking can be tight near campus, so weigh that before driving. A vehicle is mainly useful for trips beyond the central neighborhoods.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
It's reasonable for a major city. As of 2026, Milwaukee studios average around $1,009 and one-bedrooms around $1,216, with two-bedrooms near $1,533. Student-heavy East Side and Riverwest rooms in shared houses often land lower per person, so splitting a place with roommates is the standard play for keeping your share manageable.
Milwaukee is home to 7 universities, each with its own student housing market.
Alverno College sits on Milwaukee's south side at 3400 South 43rd Street, a small private college with deep roots as a historically women's institution known for its distinctive ability-based curriculum. The leafy, walkable campus near Jackson Park feels calm and residential, a world away from a big-university bustle.…
View housing near Alverno CollegeMarquette University sits about 11,550 students ten blocks west of downtown Milwaukee, on a campus that runs along Wisconsin Avenue and bleeds into the city. You're in a real metro here, not a college town: the Milwaukee River, Lake Michigan, and the museum district are all close, and downtown venues are a walk east.…
View housing near MarquetteThe Medical College of Wisconsin is a private academic medical institution located on the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus in Wauwatosa, a western suburb of Milwaukee. Founded in 1893, MCW enrolls approximately 1,500 students across its MD, PhD, and advanced practice programs, making it one of the largest…
View housing near Medical College of WisconsinMilwaukee Area Technical College, widely known as MATC, is a large public two-year institution serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area with a student body of approximately 20,000 students across four campuses. The main campus is located in downtown Milwaukee on West State Street, flanked by the Milwaukee River and…
View housing near Milwaukee Area Technical CollegeMilwaukee Institute of Art and Design, known as MIAD, is a small private college of art and design located in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward neighborhood. Founded in 1974, MIAD enrolls approximately 700 undergraduate students across programs in fine arts, graphic design, illustration, interior architecture, industrial…
View housing near Milwaukee Institute of Art and DesignMilwaukee School of Engineering is a private technical university located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, enrolling approximately 3,000 students across undergraduate and graduate programs. MSOE is best known for its engineering disciplines, including mechanical, electrical, civil, and software engineering, as well as…
View housing near Milwaukee School of EngineeringThe University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee folds about 24,500 Panthers into the city's upper East Side, a leafy, residential neighborhood minutes from Lake Michigan. That lake proximity defines campus life: students walk to Bradford Beach in warm months and cut through Downer Woods, the school's 11-acre nature preserve, on…
View housing near UWMBrowse student housing near each Milwaukee-area university.