Comparable Schools'
Parking Grades:
Quick Stats
Common Parking Tickets
- Expired meter - 15.00
- Fire lane or other safety violations - 50.00
- Handicapped zone - 250.00
- Parking without proper permit - 30.00
Freshmen Allowed to Park
Yes
Approximate Parking Permit Cost
- Apartment Living Permit – $16 per year
- Motorcycle/Moped Permit – $39 per year
- Park & Ride Permit – $23 per 2 semesters
- Student Commuter Permit – $77 per year
- West Campus Commuter Permit – $34 per 2 semesters
Parking Permits
Anyone can buy a parking permit to park in the green lots (commuter lots). This is usually what students living off campus do. It is hard for freshman students living in the dorms to obtain a parking permit for their dorm lot, but generally sophomore students can obtain one. For students who are living in the dorms and do not get a parking spot, they can buy a parking spot in the Parking Services lot. The drawback with that situation is that it is far from campus, but a bus does provide transportation there.
College Prowler Take
No matter what time you leave, you will always have trouble finding a parking spot. one of the biggest complaints at
ISU is the parking situation. Students can be found driving around campus for 15 minutes in search of a parking spot, at times causing them to be late to class or skip it altogether. ISU also decided to place the student commuter lots far from campus, so not only do student drivers have to search for a spot, they then have to walk a far distance to class. Students are, however, given the option to pay 60 cents an hour with a student ID to park by the library or in the parking garage. While those parking areas are close to campus, it defeats the purpose of paying $59 for a commuter pass. Tow trucks are commonly seen driving around campus and local apartment building parking lots to find students disobeying the parking rules. It is common to see a student running after a tow truck with their car attached behind it.
Many ISU students find the need to bring a car to school when it is not necessary. The smart choice would be to find an apartment within walking distance of campus and leave your car back home. The University does have plenty of surrounding apartments for students to rent. There are just not enough parking spots for the amount of students with cars at ISU. So if you don’t want to have a collection of
parking tickets, leave your car at home and walk to class.
Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
Anonymous says:  |
Parking is only easy sometimes....
Parking is only easy sometimes. You have to buy a parking pass here if you want to park decently close to campus, but be ready to walk because ISU does not have any close commuter parking spots. |
Anonymous says: |
There are lots of places to park...
There are lots of places to park if you have a permit, but they’re not always close to where you need to be. To pay almost $60 for a permit and not have a close spot—or any spot—to park in gets annoying quickly. ISU really needs to redo its parking situation. |
Anonymous says: |
It is easy to park early in the...
It is easy to park early in the morning, but after 9 a.m., good luck. It is quite a walk from most commuter lots. A lot of the faculty parking is close, which is unfair because they teach all day and only go to their car once. Students’ schedules are so jumbled that they could be walking to their cars five times a day. |
Anonymous says: |
It is not easy to park here at...
It is not easy to park here at all. You need to buy a parking permit. Living on campus is a lot easier because you don’t have to walk anywhere. |
Anonymous says: |
Parking is my biggest complaint...
Parking is my biggest complaint about ISU. There is limited convenient parking for students. No matter where you park, expect a 10–15 minute walk to campus. |
Did You Know?
Best Places to Find a Parking Spot:
• At a friend’s apartment complex
• At any restaurant chain, but only for one hour
• Avanti’s back lot, but don’t park for over one hour or you will be towed
• In the green lots by Milner Library
Good luck Getting a Parking Spot Here:
Anywhere between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
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