Purdue University offers a wide variety of housing types, from residence halls to traditional houses, and choosing the best fit can feel overwhelming. There are so many factors to consider, with pricing, location, amenities and more.
At Rambler, we’ve helped many students find housing in Riverfront and we understand how important it is to know about every option available to you.
In this article, we will discuss the most popular types of housing for Purdue students, to help you find your perfect fit, including:
- Residence Halls
- Cooperative Housing
- Greek Life Housing
- Student Housing Apartments
- Traditional Apartments
- Traditional Houses
- Comparison of Housing Types
Read Next: How to Find the Perfect Apartment at Purdue University
Residence Halls
Residence halls, or dormitories, can be the start of many Purdue students’ college careers. At any given time, there are an estimated 16,000 students living in Purdue residence halls due to the requirement that freshmen spend their first year living in University residences. For first-year undergraduates, the decision of where to live is easy: one of Purdue’s dormitories.
But for second-year students and up, the option still remains open to stay in one of the on-campus residence halls. Purdue offers a unique alternative to dorm-style living with their University Residences, commonly referenced as URs. These on-campus residence halls are designed like apartments for students looking for more independence while enjoying the opportunities of living at Purdue.
While the traditional triple-style dorm ranges from about $2,916 to $6,360 per year as of January 2026, studio UR apartments can cost upwards of $16,616 per year. This places residence halls on the mid-to-high end of the student housing price range.
Also important to note when deciding whether or not to continue living at a residence hall is the additional cost of a meal plan. For freshmen, a meal plan is required, but for any other student choosing to live at a residence hall, a meal plan can be a helpful addition to living expenses. For the 2025-2026 academic school year, meal plan costs range from about $1,760 to $5,894 per year. While it may seem like a steep addition on top of rent, meal plans offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a set number of Dining Dollars to use at on-campus locations that can be helpful for busy students.
If you’d like to learn more about Purdue’s meal plans or residence hall pricing, see their Housing Information page and for more information about URs, explore the University Residence page.
Cooperative Housing
The Cooperative system has been a part of Purdue University for over 75 years and provides a shared living experience with equal responsibilities between housemates. Students can apply to live at one of the Cooperative houses, and following a new member education program, will have the opportunity to become active members of the house.
Cooperatives do not have national affiliation like sorority and fraternity houses at Purdue have and members of the house share in chores like cooking and cleaning. They are unique to Purdue’s campus and each cooperative has their own mission statement and values that they look for in potential members.
Because of their joint initiatives, Cooperative houses fall in the low-to-mid end of the student housing price range and are an affordable option for students looking to live on campus. Generally, rent falls between $2,600 to $4,500 per year for room, meals and utilities combined. Many students choose to join Cooperatives to experience the friendship and values of Greek Life without the steep cost of membership fees and living at their chapter houses.
Outside of Purdue University, there are also off-campus Cooperative housing options that are student-led. These Co-Ops function in generally the same way as those governed by the University but they offer leases outside of a University housing contract. These houses also have more autonomy and independence in their structure and function more democratically when deciding budget and house roles.
To learn more about Cooperative housing at Purdue, see the Purdue Cooperative Council page.
Greek Life Housing
With 18 sorority chapters and over 40 fraternity chapters as of 2026, there are many chapter houses both on and off-campus at Purdue University. While it’s not required, many Greek Life members choose to live in-house for easier access to chapter meetings and to build closer relationships with other members.
Greek houses are privately maintained by each organization so price differs by chapter. However, generally the flat rate of living at the house includes rent, meals and chapter dues for the term of the lease.
Many Greek houses operate like the dormitories in terms of full-term leases lasting a semester, with agreed upon open-and-close dates. As well, some chapters will have requirements about how long you have to stay, whether it’s for multiple semesters or until you graduate.
Prices vary based on chapter and differ between sorority and fraternities, but as of April 2026, Purdue estimates that sorority rent averages about $5,8483 per semester and fraternities average $5,955 per semester. This places Greek life housing at the mid-to-high end of the student housing price range. However, many chapters will offer discounted chapter fees for members who live in-house so be sure to look into pricing if you are a part of Greek life at Purdue University.
Student Housing Apartments
The most popular off-campus housing option near Purdue University is student housing apartments. These purpose-built communities are designed specifically with college students in mind, offering an alternative to traditional on-campus residence halls at a comparable price point.
While there are many student housing properties surrounding Purdue’s campus in West Lafayette, a few of the most well-known include Rise on Chauncey, Hub on Campus and Chauncey Square.
Student housing apartment complexes near Purdue commonly offer individual, 12-month leases by the bedroom. This is perfect for students who may have to sublease their apartment for study abroad purposes or when they move home for the winter or summer.
Units are typically fully furnished and include a wide range of amenities, such as modern fitness centers, rooftop terraces, study lounges, gaming areas and resort-style pools. As well, student housing properties will often offer roommate matching services to help tenants find roommates that have similar preferences and styles of living. These offerings are built with college students in mind and typically surpass the amenities offered at traditional apartments.
Most student housing apartments do not include a meal plan. However, students living close to campus have convenient access to Purdue dining halls and local restaurants throughout West Lafayette.
Pricing for student housing apartments near Purdue can vary significantly depending on the property’s location, age and amenity offerings, typically ranging from around $1,055 to $1,365 per person per month.
Traditional Apartments
Traditional apartments near Purdue University offer students a more conventional off-campus living experience compared to purpose-built student housing communities. These apartments are not exclusively designed for students and are typically leased as an entire unit rather than by the bedroom, meaning roommates share one lease and split rent and utilities.
Traditional apartments may be unfurnished and often provide fewer built-in amenities than student housing complexes, but they can offer more space, quieter surroundings and flexible lease terms in some cases.
Depending on the location, year of construction and amenities offered, the price of a traditional apartment can vary. However, as of 2026, a traditional apartment’s rent in Riverfront was around $1,428 per month, placing it at the low-to-high end of the student housing price range.
Traditional Houses
Finally, we will discuss the option of traditional houses. Traditional houses are an excellent option for off-campus students who don’t mind a commute and want something more private and residential. Students looking to explore this option can choose between renting one bedroom in a house or signing a whole-house lease.
For one bedroom leases, typically within a residential home, rent can be as low as $850 per month. Additionally, these single-bedroom leases tend to be for 6-8 months rather than the full year lease, which gives you flexibility if you decide to study abroad or move.
For a more private experience, you can also look at renting a full house. These houses are usually owned by an individual or a third party management company and follow a traditional lease, meaning you and your roommates would decide how to split the cost of the full rent. A traditional full-house rental usually does not come furnished. Depending on the number of bedrooms, these houses typically average between $933 to $2,306 per month as of 2026.
While they don’t offer the same amenities as student housing apartments or the perks of living on-campus like residence halls, traditional houses can be a good option for students looking to save or move away from the college-oriented lifestyle.
Comparison of Housing Types
To summarize the typical offerings of each housing type, we have put together this convenient table to help you compare your options:
| Residence Halls | Cooperative Housing | Greek Life Housing | Student Housing Apartments | Traditional Apartments | Traditional Houses | |
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Roommate Matching | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Affordability | $$$ | $ | $$ | $$-$$$ | $-$$$ | $-$$$ |
| On-Campus or Off-Campus | On-Campus | On-Campus | Varies | Off | Off | Off |
| Furnished | Yes | Yes | Varies | Varies | No | No |
Ultimately, Purdue University students have a wide variety of options to choose from when it comes to finding housing.
Read Next: How Much Does it Cost to Live Near Purdue University
Whatever your living preference may be, you are certainly not low on choices. We hope this article helped educate you on the types of housing Riverfront has to offer and you can determine which option is best for you.
If you want to learn more about the housing options or need help on your housing journey, contact our leasing team at Rambler. We would be happy to assist you in all of your housing needs.
Lindsey
Lindsey is a Property Marketing Intern for Rambler Riverfront. She's a senior at Purdue University, majoring in Communications and Media Studies. Her favorite drink to order is an iced matcha!
Published On: March 23, 2026
Last Updated On: March 26, 2026