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North Dakota State University brings about 12,846 Bison to Fargo, the biggest city in North Dakota and a place that punches above its size on game day. NDSU football is a phenomenon: the team plays in the Fargodome, one of the loudest stadiums in college football, where crowds routinely push past 100 decibels chasing another FCS title. Campus sits in central Fargo, with University Drive running its eastern edge and downtown a short hop south. Downtown Fargo has grown into a real draw, with local art, music, and food filling the old brick storefronts, while the Red River traces the edge of town. Winters are famously long and cold, so students learn fast to live close in and lean on indoor life, campus events, and that deafening dome.
NDSU requires all first-year students to live on campus, the standard freshman live-on policy built around its residence halls and learning communities. Exemptions generally go to students commuting from a parent or guardian's home within a set distance, married students, those with dependents, veterans, and older students. These are all handled through Residence Life.
After year one, most Bison move into the neighborhoods between campus and downtown, and the rental process in Fargo is straightforward. Landlords run the usual credit and background checks, and students without much credit history often need a co-signer. The neighborhoods between campus and downtown are the most popular landing spots.
The local quirk worth knowing is winter: many leases spell out who handles snow and ice removal, and you do not want to discover that is your job after the first blizzard. Check the heating setup and insulation too, because an old, drafty house near campus can get brutal in a Fargo January. Read the lease length, since some buildings near campus only offer 12-month terms.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with North Dakota State University-Main Campus before signing a lease.
Fargo's leasing calendar rewards students who plan ahead but does not punish latecomers as harshly as bigger college towns. The bigger complexes near campus start preleasing in late winter, so January through March is the prime window for first pick close to NDSU. Houses in the Roosevelt and Madison neighborhoods turn over a little later and lean first-come. Planning ahead secures the most convenient walkable spots.
Demand peaks from late winter into spring as the large complexes prelease and students claim the close-in neighborhoods. The walkable units between campus and downtown thin out as move-in nears in late August. Fargo is compact enough that a place a few blocks out still works, especially if you have a car for winter. Touring during this window keeps the best options open.
If you land in town late, spring sublets and December openings from graduating students give you a bridge. One Fargo reality is that nobody wants to move in deep winter, so summer and early fall see the most turnover and the widest choice. Late searchers can use that seasonal turnover to their advantage. Widening the radius a few blocks out also opens up more availability.
The residential pocket right between campus and downtown, rental-heavy and the most popular landing spot for students.
Close to campus and the dome, a mix of older houses and apartment buildings.
Brick lofts and apartments in the middle of the art, music, and food scene, livelier and usually a step higher for the location.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A room in a shared apartment or house near campus usually runs $400-$750/month per person, with older houses in the Roosevelt area at the lower end and newer downtown lofts higher. A one-bedroom often lands around $700-$1,000/month. Budget another $50-$130/month for utilities, since Fargo winters drive heating costs up in older buildings.