International students coming to Seattle University have options with regard to where they want to live. Some students decide to live on campus, while other students decide to live off campus.
If you are a new undergraduate first-year student entering SU, we have a two-year on campus residency requirement, so you need to live on the campus.
The ISC encourages international students to apply for housing on campus as soon as possible, as space is limite. Housing in the City of Seattle (off campus) can be very expensive and rents have increased significantly over the past few years.
Research on college and graduate students indicates that students that live on campus tend to do better academically than those that live off campus. If you live on or near the campus, you are closer to the academic, social, cultural, and co-curricular resources needed to succeed at the University.
Regardless of whether you are entering SU in the Fall, Winter, Spring, or Summer, we recommend that you apply early for housing. In order to do this you need to submit an SU Housing Application.
For information about the application and about on campus housing please visit the SU Department of Housing & Residential Life (HRL) website at http://www.seattleu.edu/housing.
In addition, HRL also has a specific page geared toward International Students that can be found at International Student On-Campus Housing Application.
Housing in Seattle tends to be more expensive and difficult to find than other parts of the Puget Sound.
The average prices of Seattle apartments:
Those considering Seattle should start their search for housing at least a month before starting classes. We encourage you to allow time to research and look once in the area.
Many apartments outside of the immediate Seattle area offer move-in incentives. Public transportation is available, thus making living outside of the area a very viable, and less expensive, option. Most apartment managers ask for first and last month's rent as well as damage or cleaning deposits. Don't be surprised if you have to pay for a credit check, as it is standard practice in the Northwest.
We have included brief descriptions of various neighborhoods in the Seattle area for your convenience.