Loading listings
North Carolina State University brings about 36,042 students into Raleigh, a fast-growing capital where the Wolfpack and a strong engineering and design streak set the tone. The main campus runs along Hillsborough Street, a walkable strip of student life that connects you to downtown in minutes, while Centennial Campus to the south blends labs, startups, and classrooms on its own green expanse. The Belltower is the campus landmark everyone meets at. Just off campus, Pullen Park offers a carousel, a lake, and open lawns, and Dorothea Dix Park sprawls across a hilltop with skyline views. Game days pull crowds to Carter-Finley Stadium and PNC Arena. Students lean on the free Wolfline buses and bikes to move between the two campuses.
NC State requires first-year students to live on campus unless they qualify for an exemption. Most freshmen spend that year in the residence halls before moving off as sophomores.
Approved exemptions cover documented medical or disability needs that can't be met on campus, certain religious requirements, and students who live at their permanent home with a parent or legal guardian within a 15-mile drive of main campus. Most students at NC State move off as sophomores, and that is when the search around Hillsborough Street and Centennial heats up.
Raleigh offers by-the-bed student high-rises plus apartments and older houses in West Raleigh. Student buildings usually bill per person, run a full 12-month term through summer, and add amenity or administrative fees. Standard apartment communities may want credit checks, income proof, or a guarantor, so have your documents ready before you tour.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with North Carolina State University at Raleigh before signing a lease.
Raleigh leases early, and the student high-rises near campus move fast. The big by-the-bed buildings along Hillsborough Street and near Centennial open renewals and preleasing for the next school year in the fall, and a lot of the best units are claimed by winter, before spring classes wrap. If you want a specific building or a walkable spot, tour and sign between October and January. The earlier you lock something in, the more real choices you have.
The peak runs October through January as returning students claim near-campus high-rises. Leases here typically start in August and run a full 12 months through July. The best units along Hillsborough Street and near Centennial go first. Sign in this window for a walkable spot near class.
Searching late, look to the spring for relets and takeovers from students graduating, co-oping, or leaving for the summer, which is common at an engineering-heavy school where rotations move people around. Standard apartment communities in West Raleigh turn over more year-round than the student high-rises, so they can be a solid late fallback. Expect fewer choices the longer you wait.
Running right along main campus, Hillsborough Street is walkable and packed with student high-rises that lease fast and sit at the higher end.
The broader area around campus, West Raleigh mixes apartments and older houses that tend to run gentler the farther out you go.
To the south, the Centennial Campus area offers newer buildings near the labs and a quieter, modern feel.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A bed in a by-the-bed student high-rise near campus usually runs about $700-$1,100/month per person. Older houses and apartments farther into West Raleigh land at the lower end, while newer buildings on Hillsborough Street and near Centennial sit higher. Budget another $40-$120/month for utilities if they aren't bundled in.