RIT has a booming student population with higher freshman enrollment each year. This has been one of the greatest sources of pride for the administration in recent years, but has also been a burden for many students due to a housing strain. RIT guarantees housing for freshman year, and it’s also guaranteed sophomore year if students fill in their requests early enough. RIT has 13 residence halls as well as five apartment complexes that are all considered on-campus housing. The RIT Inn and Conference Center also provide student housing if needed. Due to the limited number of spaces available, many students choose to look for off-campus housing instead. There are a number of apartment complexes around the RIT campus that are designed specifically for college students. Most local complexes have RTS bus access that take students directly to the RIT campus. Therefore, having a car is not a necessity in order to live
off campus. Another option is to rent a house near campus or in the city itself. While rent is generally cheaper in the city, it is not always entirely safe. Make sure you are aware of where your apartment is before you
sign the lease.
Overall, the student debate about on campus versus off-campus housing seems pretty evenly matched. On-campus living is convenient because, well, it’s on campus, and if you are in the on-campus apartments, you are no longer required to be on a meal plan. Living off campus relieves you of RIT’s dry campus policy and also allots students a bit more freedom regarding lifestyle. Living off campus can be cheaper, but it depends on where you are living. On-campus housing is charged directly to your student account, which relieves you of monthly payment schedules and responsibilities. This, of course, isn’t the case when students live off campus, because along with off-campus living comes many more responsibilities. Overall, there are many things to consider when choosing where to live. In the end, as is the case with many things in life, it all comes down to what you can afford.