Student Housing near University of California Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley, is a public research university founded in 1868. It is the first land-grant university in California and also the founding campus of the University of California system. As one of the original eight "Public Ivy" schools in America, UC Berkeley's ranking in QS World University Rankings 2025 is #12.

Academic Excellence

UC Berkeley owns 14 schools and colleges and a number of graduate and professional schools, providing students with over 120 graduate programs.  Among them, many majors are recognized as top-class worldwide, including ecology, economics, engineering, law, and physics. You may have heard many Berkeley alumni, faculty, and researchers from news and reports, such as Frances H. Arnold, Barry Barish, Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Thomas Cech, and more. UC Berkeley has 99 Nobel laureates, 23 Turing Award winners, and 14 Pulitzer Prize winners, which makes it a hub of academic and research excellence.

Prime Location

Located at the heart of Berkeley city, UC Berkeley also offers students a gateway to explore the beautiful Bay area. You will not surprisingly to find local cuisines, shopping centers, fashion stores, and popular destinations with easy access. It is also easy to find plenty of UC Berkeley off campus housing with various floor plans and complete amenities to choose from and compare. Students will find UC Berkeley to be an ideal place to study and live.

There is a wide range of UC Berkeley student housing options on uhomes.com now, and the number is growing constantly. Among so many UC Berkeley off campus housing options, we have various floor plans covering studios, single rooms, shared rooms, 1/2B+ bedroom apartments with complete amenities, fully furnished rooms, and near-campus locations. With uhomes.com, you will get the best UC Berkeley housing with all your needs satisfied.

Here are some of the best apartments for rent near UC Berkeley:

1. Allston Place: UC Berkeley off campus housing with free double occupancy
2. Stadium Place: apartments near UC Berkeley within walking distance
3. Ace Berkeley: UC Berkeley student housing with high cashback
4. Sterling Haste: University of California Berkeley off campus housing near bus station
5. Hillside Village: furnished UC Berkeley apartments
6. Stonefire Berkeley: UC Berkeley housing with free double occupancy and near supermarket
7. Sterling Allston: UC Berkeley off campus apartments with short lease and no service fee
8. Sterling University Ave: pet-friendly UC Berkeley housing
9. Sterling Oxford: UC Berkeley housing with short lease,  and near the bus station and supermarket
10. The Standard: brand new apartments near UC Berkeley

Looking for cheap apartments near UC Berkeley? uhomes.com is here to help you find the ideal affordable UC Berkeley off campus housing based on your needs. The UC Berkeley student housing we offer has not only reasonable housing costs but also bills included, complete facilities, new amenities, and a near-campus location.

Here are some of the cheap apartments near UC Berkeley:

1. Dwight House
2. MacArthur
3. Varsity Berkeley
4. 2427 Ellsworth
5. 2300 Oak Street #5
6. Jefferson
7. The Grad
8. 2332 Fulton Street

When looking for University of California Berkeley off campus housing, choosing the proper neighborhoods that meet your needs can significantly improve the quality of life and enrich your life experience. The following best neighborhoods for apartments for rent near UC Berkeley are recommended:

Downtown Berkeley

Downtown Berkeley is one of the best neighborhoods in the city, with towering apartment buildings, excellent music venues, and time-honoured restaurants. The University of California, Berkeley campus is within walking distance, students will never be worry about missing early classes or commuting to campus. This district the top choice of many students looking for apartments near the UC Berkeley campus.

Telegraph Avenue District

Telegraph Avenue is an iconic street with a historic Free Speech & Flower Power swagger in Berkeley, CA. Students choosing their University of California Berkeley student housing here will enjoy an atmosphere where history and reality are intertwined, filled with restaurants, bookstores, shops, and street vendors.

North Shattuck

Living in an UC Berkeley off campus housing in North Shattuck will satisfy your taste buds. This district is the cradle of California's famous farm-to-table cuisine, the hub of homegrown, and also known for its high-quality jewelers, artisan shops, and artist collectives.

Elmwood District

Elmwood district is located south of the UC Berkeley campus. It is Berkeley's oldest commercial district with a to-block shopping and dining centre, making it a perfect place for sweet sidewalks and entertainment. Choosing UC Berkeley student housing here will enable you to enjoy both the short distance to campus and colorful off-campus life.

The cost of living for UC Berkeley students mainly covers the following aspects. Browse and get a general impression can help students better manage their budget and choose the suitable UC Berkeley student housing.

UC Berkeley Rentals:

UC Berkeley on campus housing costs: Typically, annual costs range from $16,000 to $25,000, including UC Berkeley room and board.

UC Berkeley off campus housing cost: Generally range from $700-$5,000 monthly, depending on room type, location, and amenities.

Food:

Campus meal plans: $3,000 to $5,000 per semester, depending on the plan and dining frequency.

Off-campus dining costs without campus meal plans: $300 to $600 per month depending on personal habits and preferences.

Utilities:

$437 per month on average

If you choose UC Berkeley off campus housing, you may need to budget for utilities. uhomes.com provides bills-included UC Berkeley housing like The La Loma, The Hearst, and The Channing to save your budget.

Transportation:

AC Transit: typically costs around $90 a month.

BART: range from $150 to $200 or more a month.

Bike: range from $200 to $1,000 to purchase a bike.

Car: monthly gas expenses range from $100 to $300 a month.

Usually, UC Berkeley rentals account for the biggest part of the cost of living for UC Berkeley students. Therefore, it is vital to consider your budget in advance and find the most cost-effective apartments near UC Berkeley.

Public Transportation:

Public transportation is the most common way for UC Berkeley Students to commute. It is important to find ideal UC Berkeley off campus housing with convenience access to nearby stations.

AC Transit: Students can use their Cal ID for discounted fares. There are several AC Transit bus lines serve the UC Berkeley area, including the 49 and 65 lines.

BART: It connects to San Francisco and other Bay Area cities, and the nearest BART station is in Downtown Berkeley.

Shuttle Services: UC Berkeley offers the Bear Transit shuttle, which provides free rides around campus and nearby locations.

Biking: It is recommended to ride a bike for students whose UC Berkeley student housing is near the university campus. Bike racks and bike-sharing programs are available.

Walking: There are many apartments near UC Berkeley campus that can enable you to just walk between classes and nearby spots.

Car: If you have a car, you can drive to school and other faraway attractions. Also, your options for UC Berkeley off campus housing will be more comprehensive if you have a car.

Uber/Lyft: Carpooling and ride-share apps like Uber and Lyft are popular for local travel, and the costs vary widely depending on distance and frequency of use.

Exploring Berkeley and surrounding areas near the University of California, Berkeley, will significantly enrich students' lives and experiences. Depart from your UC Berkeley apartments and visit the following recommended tourist attractions that you will not want to miss:

• Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA)
• University of California Botanical Garden
• Tilden Regional Park
• Berkeley Marina
• Telegraph Avenue4

If you enjoy visiting and want to explore more things to do in Berkeley, you can consider this when choosing your apartments for rent near UC Berkeley campus. uhomes.com will offer you the best UC Berkeley off campus housing options with good locations and reasonable costs.

Student life is exciting and colorful whether you choose to live in UC Berkeley off campus housing or UC Berkeley dormitory. Elmwood is the ideal place to go shopping, with a lot of cute shops and cafes to explore. As for food, Cafe Durant and La Note are recommended for breakfast, and Berkeley Farmer's Market is suggested for snacks and groceries. Also, there are some museums you can visit aside from the campus, and there are also The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life and the Lawerence Hall of Science.

If you love outdoor activities, you can go hiking at Tilden Regional Park, Strawberry Canyon Fire Trail and Indian Rock Park, strolling at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden and Berkeley Rose Garden up in Northside, walking and wandering along the Berkeley Pathways to see the Bay and sunset.

There is too much to discover near UC Berkeley. Remember to make the most of your Clipper card by taking public transportation to these destinations around Berkeley. Use the benefits of your Cal 1 Card, too, for free or reduced admission to many activities. Many apartments near UC Berkeley have quick access to campus and public transportation, designed to make student life near UC Berkeley more convenient and comfortable.

University of California, Berkeley offers a wide range of majors and programs for students to develop in various disciplines. Some of UC Berkeley top majors are:

• Computer science
• Econometrics and quantitative economics
• Cell/cellular and molecular biology
• Computer and information sciences, other
• Electrical and electronics engineering

Among the various options of University of California Berkeley off campus housing, students can find their best choice according to their budget and preferences. Here are some of the best UC Berkeley student housing:

• Hillside Village: luxury UC Berkeley off campus housing with new amenities and complete facilities.
• The Berk: apartments near UC Berkeley campus with 24-hours security, short lease, and no service fee.
• Sterling Haste: UC Berkeley apartments for rent near bus station and supermarket.
• Telegraph Gardens: near bus station UC Berkeley apartments with elevator and balcony.
• Aquatic at U: furnished UC Berkeley student housing with in-unit laundry, elevator, and gym.

There are mainly 2 options of UC Berkeley student housing for students with different needs:

UC Berkeley on campus housing:

The UC Berkeley dorms provided by the university are varied, including traditional residence hall, mini-suites, and UC Berkeley family housing.

UC Berkeley off campus housing:

UC Berkeley off campus housing offers all room types with complete amenities, furnished rooms, high-quality services, and both luxury and cheap apartments near UC Berkeley, designed to meet the more personal needs of every student.

The University of California Berkeley housing costs vary from room type to size, amenities, and location. Here are the average rentals of different room types of both UC Berkeley on campus housing and UC Berkeley off campus housing:

UC Berkeley on campus housing:

UC Berkeley dorms cost on campus ranges from around $17,000 to $24,000 per academic year, depending different types of UC Berkeley housing, room types, size, and facilities.

UC Berkeley off campus housing:

The UC Berkeley off campus housing listed on our platform includes all room types students need such as:

UC Berkeley Single rooms

Suitable for: Students who value privacy and independence.

Average rent: $2,052 per month

Shared rooms

Suitable for: Students looking to share living costs and build community.

Average rent: $1,213 per month

Studios

Suitable for: Students who prefer living independently in a high-quality environment.

Average rent: $3,022 per month

1B/2B/3B/4B/5B+ bedroom apartments

Suitable for: Students who enjoy communal living with friends or classmates or looking for UC Berkeley family housing.

Average rent (varies greatly depending on the number of bedrooms):

1B: $3,345 per month

2B: $4,505 per month

3B: $4,489 per month

4B: $4,984 per month

5B+: $6,165 per month

Yes, living in UC Berkeley off campus housing can usually be cheaper than UC Berkeley on campus housing. On uhomes.com, there are more options for UC Berkeley student housing with different locations, amenities, facilities, and floor plans. You can find the perfect UC Berkeley off campus housing at affordable prices based on your own personal preferences, and we will also offer high cashback and special discounts sometimes.

Choosing UC Berkeley off campus housing will bring you the following benefits:

Save your budget: Students can find a wide range of UC Berkeley off campus housing with cheaper prices than UC Berkeley on campus housing. If you want to save your budget, come to uhomes.com, and we will help you find both cheap apartments near UC Berkeley and luxury UC Berkeley housing at more reasonable prices.

Stay with friends or family: It will be much more convenient and more options to choose UC Berkeley off campus housing if you want to live with your friends or family.

More privacy: Compared with UC Berkeley dorms on campus, living in UC Berkeley housing off campus will give you more space and privacy if you do not want to share a room with strangers.

Vibrant off-campus life: Living in University of California Berkeley off campus housing, you will get more involved in the local community and have quick access to colorful off-campus life.

You should better start searching UC Berkeley off campus housing in late April or early May, so you will have enough time to compare and select. You can use the "filter" function to define your budget, duration, room type, location features, preferred amenities, and service features based on your needs. This will allow you to quickly find suitable UC Berkeley housing.