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University of Portland sits about 4,000 students on a bluff in North Portland's University Park neighborhood, overlooking the Willamette River and the West Hills beyond. It's a small, Catholic, tight-knit campus where the riverfront and surrounding residential streets shape daily life more than a sprawling college strip would. The neighborhood feels green and quiet, with leafy blocks running toward the water and the historic St. Johns district and its iconic gothic-arched bridge a walk or short ride away. Cathedral Park sits under that bridge by the river and hosts a summer jazz festival, and Pier Park gives students nearby trails. Getting downtown is easy on the MAX Yellow Line light rail and city buses.
University of Portland requires full-time undergraduates to live on campus for their first two years. The two-year residency rule keeps most freshmen and sophomores in university housing on the bluff.
You can request an exemption from the two-year residency rule, with preference given to students who've confirmed enrollment. Most students move off campus as juniors and seniors, settling into the houses and apartments around University Park, St. Johns, and the nearby North Portland neighborhoods. The stock near campus is largely older single-family homes and smaller apartment buildings, so you're renting in a normal city neighborhood alongside families and long-term residents, and Portland landlords run credit, income, and background checks.
The city has tenant-protection rules covering things like security-deposit limits and required notice, so read your lease and know your rights. Watch for older homes with aging systems, confirm whether parking is on-street only, and check who covers water, sewer, and trash, since landlords here often bill those back to tenants.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with University of Portland before signing a lease.
Portland's rental market moves on a fairly steady cycle, but the houses closest to campus in University Park go early, so students who want them start looking in late winter and try to sign by spring for a fall move-in. The shared houses that groups of juniors and seniors want get claimed first, so line up your roommates before you start touring. Bigger apartment buildings have openings year round and are easier to grab later. Setting alerts on listing sites and checking the campus off-campus resources helps you move quickly.
Classes start in late August, so if you wait until July you'll have fewer options near campus and may end up a MAX ride or longer walk away in St. Johns or Portsmouth. Demand for the best group houses peaks in late winter and spring. The University Park blocks closest to the bluff are the most competitive. Most students at University of Portland who want a walkable house aim to sign by spring.
Spring and early summer bring more turnover as students graduate or head out for internships, which is a good window for subleases and mid-year openings. If you're searching late, look toward St. Johns or Portsmouth, where more houses and apartments stay open. The MAX Yellow Line and city buses keep a farther-out place easy to commute from. Bigger apartment buildings are the most reliable late option since they have year-round openings.
The neighborhood wrapped around campus, leafy and walkable with older homes and small apartment buildings right by the bluff.
A self-contained district to the west with its own downtown and the landmark bridge, popular with students wanting their own scene.
Just east of campus, residential and a bit more low-key with houses to split.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A room in a shared house around University Park or St. Johns usually runs $700-$1,100/month per person. Studios near campus average around $1,200/month and one-bedrooms around $1,400/month total, so splitting a larger house is how most juniors and seniors keep their share down. Budget another $50-$120/month for utilities, which landlords here often bill back to tenants.
Other universities in Portland share a similar off-campus housing market.
Portland State is an urban campus in the middle of downtown Portland, and students rent throughout the city's diverse neighborhoods rather than clustering in a single student zone. The South Park Blocks campus puts students within walking distance of the Pearl District and downtown, but Portland's good MAX light rail…
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