As an exchange student currently studying at WashU, one section of my application especially stood out to me. On-campus housing was really, really expensive. Having grown up in the US, this struck me as odd. While I did not know the Midwest well, I had never heard of St. Louis being a city with high cost of living. My assumption was correct. The median St. Louis rent is comfortably below the national average. 

Sure enough, in speaking with WashU students who live off-campus, they consistently reported paying anywhere from $800 to $1000 for their monthly rent (or $9,600 to $12,000 on an annual basis), significantly below WashU’s housing, which typically range from $13,000 to $16,000 annually. This represents thousands of dollars in difference, with the added benefit of off-campus rentals providing the flexibility to stay in St. Louis for the summer. 

These prices are particularly shocking when compared to on-campus housing at other universities, especially those at the center of cities with high cost of living. At Columbia University, a 10-minute walk from Central Park and in the heart of Morningside, students pay as low as $12,000 for housing. At UCLA, which is located between Beverly Hills and The Getty Museum, students pay roughly $13,000 for housing.  At George Washington University, a mere 10-minute walk from the White House, students pay $14,000 for housing. Despite being located in areas with a high cost of living, all three of these universities provide cheaper housing than WashU. We can only speculate as to why WashU’s on-campus housing is so expensive. One possible answer: WashU is aware that its extremely wealthy student body is willing and able to pay WashU’s prices, and sees no reason to lower them. 

There are certainly benefits to living on campus. Most obviously, students living on campus can easily access their classes and professors. Further, the process of applying to housing through ResLife is more straightforward than searching for a house or apartment for rent on the private market. There are also a number of subtle benefits. While ResLife is not perfect, I expect that most students would prefer working with ResLife than risk working with a stubborn landlord. There is also something to be said for living on a university campus. There is a feeling of community that emerges from constantly being surrounded by fellow students. When speaking with students who currently live off-campus, they often mentioned a feeling of disconnect from college life. 

In a vacuum, WashU’s high housing costs could be acceptable. Off-campus housing is readily available and significantly more affordable for students who would prefer to save some money. Students who are willing to pay more to live on-campus receive real benefits. This, however, is not the case. WashU requires that freshman and sophomores live in the South 40, representing thousands of dollars in extra costs to students who might prefer to live in cheaper, off-campus housing. There are two obvious solutions to this issue. First, WashU could loosen on-campus living requirements for freshmen and sophomores, allowing them to choose between living on or off-campus. Alternatively, WashU could simply lower the cost of housing. Either way, WashU students deserve better.