Comparable Schools'
Parking Grades:
Quick Stats
Freshmen Allowed to Park
Yes
Approximate Parking Permit Cost
- $30–$40 per quarter for general permits
- $85–$170 per quarter for restricted permits
Parking Permits
General and restricted permits are decided through a lottery. Permits for general lots are handed out generously, therefore lots fill up quickly. Students who receive general permits are placed on a wait-list to obtain permits for restricted lots of choice.
College Prowler Take
For the most part, parking at DU is an absolute mess. Street parking is often taken over by the ongoing construction on campus, and non-student residents in neighboring areas often complain to administration that students fill the only available parking in front of their houses.
If you plan on driving to class every day, or want to keep your car on campus, buy a parking permit. Permits can get fairly expensive, especially for restricted lots, but they’re well worth it. In fact, the cost of a permit will probably pay itself back in the end, as you won’t have to pay parking tickets from DU or the City and County of Denver. Both parking authorities are diligent about ticketing on a daily basis. Students who run out of class to move their cars from one-hour parking are often filled with dismay to see they’re one second too late, and must watch as the parking patrol writes them a ticket. Pleading and begging to the officer on duty usually falls on deaf ears. If you buy a restricted permit, the lots are spacious and strategically placed throughout campus. Many feature underground or otherwise covered parking. General lots are fewer and tend to fill up more quickly. Some students use the general lots, particularly the large one next door to Halls and across the street from Towers, as car storage units if they don’t drive very much, but wish to keep their cars nearby.
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:  |
I walk to school about six blocks...
I walk to school about six blocks away. It sucks in the winter when it gets really cold or when it’s raining, but it doesn’t even seem worth it to drive around. |
Anonymous says:  |
You’d think there’d be more...
You’d think there’d be more parking available at a school with so much money. I don’t know why they’re building three new buildings per year when what we really need is more parking! |
Anonymous says:  |
Parking is really bad. I’ve had to...
Parking is really bad. I’ve had to pay my fair share of parking tickets before I wised up and got a permit for a general lot. But even in the general lot most of the spaces are always filled, and I’m late to class because I’m waiting for someone to leave. The lots aren’t nearly big enough for all the students who have cars and parking permits. I have a feeling they hand out way more permits than there are parking spaces. |
Anonymous says:  |
If kind of sucks to shell out the...
If kind of sucks to shell out the money, but if you can swing it, get a parking permit. It’s worth it, and then you’ll avoid having to pay even more money for parking tickets. I have a restricted parking permit, and I love it. The lot is covered, it’s safe, and I always find a spot. |
Did You Know?
Best Places to Find a Parking Spot
• With a restricted permit, in whichever lot the permit is valid
• Side streets (one hour only)
• Visitor lots
Good Luck Getting a Parking Spot Here!
• Any general lot when there is a special event on campus
• Street parking that has no time limit
Parking tickets issued by DU’s Parking Department often go unpaid and unnoticed. Unpaid city and county parking tickets, however, can lead to a boot on your car that costs $50 to remove, plus the fine of all accumulated parking tickets.
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Anne is obsessed with the TV show The West Wing.
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