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Off-Campus Housing Near Penn State University
$585/unit
Fees may applyTremont Student Living
$470/unit
Fees may apply3 Bedroom Pugh St
About Off-Campus Housing Near Penn State University
Penn State University, officially The Pennsylvania State University, is one of the largest public research universities in the United States, with more than 40,000 undergraduate students at its main University Park campus in Centre County, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855, Penn State is the Commonwealth's flagship land-grant institution, offering more than 275 undergraduate degree programs across colleges including engineering, business, liberal arts, science, and agriculture. The campus is set in a college town environment where the university and the surrounding Borough of State College are deeply intertwined, creating a vibrant social and academic atmosphere. Penn State's Nittany Lions compete at the Division I level, and football game weekends draw enormous crowds that animate the entire region. The off-campus rental market in State College and surrounding areas is one of the most active college-town housing markets in the country, with strong demand and a wide range of apartment, house, and townhome options.
Penn State University Housing Requirements
Freshman Live-On Requirement
Penn State requires most first-year students to live in university-operated residence halls for their initial year at University Park. This policy is designed to help new students transition to college life and build connections within the campus community. Students with specific qualifying circumstances - such as living with a parent or guardian within a defined commute distance, being 21 or older, or being married - may apply for an exemption through the Office of Housing and Food Services.
Off-Campus Eligibility
After completing the required first year in on-campus housing, Penn State students are generally free to live off campus beginning with their sophomore year. The vast majority of upperclassmen choose to rent in the Borough of State College, College Heights, or neighboring communities like Bellefonte and Boalsburg. Students with financial aid should verify any housing-related stipulations in their award packages, though Penn State does not broadly restrict off-campus living for upperclassmen.