For many students at the University of Indianapolis, on-campus housing is the only reasonable option. According to US News, approximately 51% of UIndy students live on campus. So this raises the question of whether the dorms and apartments that UIndy offers are really worth the money for those students, especially when there are limited choices.
There are seven residence halls on campus: Roberts, East, Central, Crowe, Warren, Cory-Bretz and Cravens, according to UIndy Housing. Each building has different amenities available to students, such as an on-site fitness center in Roberts or common area space in Central. Single rooms are available in every residence hall except Central and Crowe, and the price for a single room is either $4,470 in East and Roberts or $4,432 for a single room in Cory Bretz, Cravens and Warren per semester, according to UIndy Housing. For a double room, the cost is $3,596 for Central and Roberts and $3,218 for Cravens, Crowe, Cory Bretz and Warren. Lastly, a triple room is available for $3,096 in Roberts and Central Hall and $2,718 in Cory Bretz, Cravens and Warren Hall.
One of the biggest differences between the buildings in which rooms cost more is that, in Roberts, East and Central Hall, bathrooms are not communal but instead are connected to two rooms in Roberts and East and one room in Central. This is a huge difference in amenities, but for some people, sharing a bathroom with an entire wing of people may be worth saving $378 for the triple and double rooms.
All residence halls come furnished, but another key difference is the ability to move the furniture in the rooms. Although I was never particularly interested in rearranging my room, I know that for some people being able to personalize the room is important. The furniture in Roberts, East, Central and Cravens is movable (only the beds are moveable in Cravens), while the furniture is built-in in Cory Bretz, Crowe and Warren.
I was given the opportunity this year to live in the Honors Living-Learning Community in Central Hall. One of the biggest factors in my decision to accept that offer was being able to share a bathroom with only one person, as opposed to an entire floor or wing of people. That seemed like a great trade off for a little bit more money. Additionally, all of the dorms on campus are very close to buildings that students walk to each day to get to class, eat and participate in campus activities, which is not always the case at other universities. Because the dorms are so close to campus, students save money that they would otherwise spend on gas if they were driving to campus. They also save time that would be spent walking across campus at a bigger university or driving if they chose to commute. Not everyone may like how compact UIndy’s campus is, but, for living purposes, I think it is a good, convenient thing that on-campus housing is not miles away from lecture halls.
In addition to the on-campus residence halls, three apartment complexes have units available for lease through UIndy: Greyhound Village, University Lofts and College Crossing. Greyhound Village offers units with one, two, three or four bedrooms; University Lofts one, two or four bedrooms; and College Crossing two, three or four bedrooms.
For each type of room, College Crossing offers the cheapest option. Two-bedroom apartments cost $4,650 per semester or $775 per month; three-bedroom apartments cost $4,530 per semester or $755 per month; and four-bedroom apartments cost $4,080 per semester or $680 per month. Some of the amenities available in College Crossing units include a full kitchen, two bathrooms and an in-unit washer and dryer.
University Lofts has the most expensive units: one-bedroom apartments cost $6,570 per semester or $1,095 per month; two-bedroom apartments cost $5,610 per semester or $935 per month; and four-bedroom apartments cost $4,770 per semester or $795 per month. Greyhound Village apartments fall between the other two complexes in price, with one-bedroom units costing $6,480 per semester or $1,080 per month, two-bedroom units costing $5,220 per semester or $870 per month, three-bedroom units costing $5,040 per semester or $840 per month and four-bedroom units costing $4,620 per semester or $770 per month.
According to Zumper, a website that posts house and apartment listings and prices in major cities, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Indianapolis in April 2023 is $1,195, which costs $100 more than the most expensive one-bedroom apartment at UIndy. So while apartments seem generally more expensive than living in a residence hall, all of the on-campus apartments available at UIndy are cheaper than leasing an off-campus apartment in Indianapolis. All of the apartment complexes at UIndy also come furnished, according to UIndy Lofts, Greyhound Village and College Crossing.
According to the UIndy Office of Financial Aid, the estimated cost for full-time undergraduate students’ living expenses in the 2023-24 school year will be $15,878. Across the United States, tuition has increased from $42,695 for private institutions in 2021 to $44,433 in 2023, according to US News. While tuition as a whole is incredibly pricey, and costs only continue to grow, the cost of living on campus at UIndy is worth it for the students who do not have the option to commute.
