It’s no surprise that the Mile High City is one of the best places to live as a thriving college student. Before you can achieve your dream of living in Denver and studying at RMCAD, we have a few Student Housing 101 tips to help you find your home sweet home.
Budget
A common mistake that college students make is not budgeting beyond their housing necessities. Remember, you can’t control what you make, but you can control what you spend. Consider what the most sustainable living cost is for you at this point in your life, while keeping your savings, scholarships, job or family in mind. Whatever it may be, we recommend creating a realistic budget for the entirety of your lease. It is important to remember that some places do not have parking and utilities included, like wifi and electricity, so make sure you gather all the details before signing the lease.
Neighborhood
Your budget may also determine your neighborhood, as downtown living can be more expensive than the suburbs. Luckily, Denver has lots of neighborhoods to choose from to fit your exact needs. If you are looking for a quiet, small town feel, Arvada and Lakewood are great places to explore. If city living is more your speed, we recommend checking out the Highlands or LoDo. For the adventurists, Golden and its surrounding neighborhoods are only a 30 minute train ride to campus and are located in the beautiful foothills. For a full list of nearby neighborhoods, check out this Denver list.
Transportation
While picking your neighborhood, you should also consider your transportation to-and-from campus. Denver has excellent public transportation, specifically the Regional Transportation District (RTD) Light Rail and buses. This train and bus system runs throughout the Denver metro area, which makes it convenient for easy travel. At RMCAD, all students are provided with RTD passes to help them commute to campus, which is located near several bus and train stops. If you prefer driving, we offer free parking on campus as well.
Roommates
While picking your living arrangements, it’s also critical to decide whether you want to live alone or with roommates. Roommates not only lower the cost of rent, but they can help keep you from feeling lonely and contribute to household responsibilities and chores. If you are interested in finding a roommate, please send an email to housing@rmcad.edu to get a copy of our roommate form. From there, we’ll post your form on both our campus housing board and our RMCAD Housing Facebook Page to help you find your perfect match.
Student Housing
Next, it is time to decide whether you want to live in student housing. While we do not offer on-campus living for students, there are several options nearby that house college students in the Denver metro area, including Assembly Student Living, Auraria Student Lofts and Colab Student Living. These apartments follow a more traditional student experience and allow you to live alongside other college undergrads. The roommate form can also be helpful if you are not living in student housing and looking for people to share an apartment or home with.
With so many options to mix and match, we are sure that you will find your dream living situation. If you have further questions after applying these Student Housing 101 tips, check out our housing information or contact housing@rmcad.edu. We look forward to seeing you at RMCAD!
