Housing
Seek housing as soon as possible and before your arrival in the United States. Off campus housing, in particular, is in high demand and becomes harder to find as the school year approaches. Begin your search for campus housing with Housing, Food Services, & Residence Life.
Non-University Park Students
Students who are enrolled at other Penn State Commonwealth campuses can find additional housing information by asking the international student representative or campus contact for additional information. First-year students attending the Penn State Behrend campus are required to live on campus.
On University Park Campus
First-Year Undergraduate Students
Incoming first-year students who have accepted the Offer of Admission to Penn State University Park are required to live on campus. Information for first-year students for housing at University Park Campus can be found at https://housing.psu.edu/future-first-year-students
Students with Advanced Standing at University Park (upper-class students including transfer students)
Upper-class students and those who are transferring to Penn State from another university to the University Park campus should follow the information found at https://housing.psu.edu/housing-process-faqs
Graduate and Family Apartments
Single graduate students and students with families at the University Park campus.are eligible to apply for housing. Details can be found at: https://housing.psu.edu/graduate-family-housing
Break Access Housing (for students who wish to live on-campus during holiday breaks)
Students are often unable to travel home during the scheduled academic year break periods: Fall Break, Winter/Holiday Break, and Spring Break. Students wishing to live on-campus during scheduled holiday breaks should refer to break access housing.
Global Engagement Community
The Global Engagement Community Special Living Option is a living-learning community that promotes dynamic exchange of global and local perspectives at Penn State.
Off Campus
Students and scholars who are planning to live off campus should seek housing as soon as possible prior to arrival in the United States. Off-campus housing is in high demand and becomes harder to find as the school year approaches. University Park Students can find assistance through the Student Affairs Off-Campus Support Site.
Before beginning to search for housing, students and scholars should ensure they are familiar with common terms of renting a house or apartment in the United States. Please be wary of housing scams - contacts outside of the U.S. and requests for wire transfers may or may not be legitimate.
Other Sources of Information:
- Graduate students may wish to get in touch with their adviser, a contact in their department, or Graduate & Professional Student Association for advice.
- The Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) provides public bus transportation in State College and the surrounding area. Many off-campus housing options are not within walking distance of the University Park campus, so it is useful to become familiar with the local bus routes.
