Contact the school you plan to attend and ask for information on campus housing options.
Read the material the school sends you. Some schools -- such as Duke University In Durham, North Carolina -- have on-campus living requirements that prohibit students from living off campus for more than one academic year.
Take note of the options available. The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, offers single dorm rooms, double rooms, suites and even campus apartments. Each option comes with a different price tag. At the University of Akron--and at most schools--the more students sharing a single room, the lower the cost.
Compare the cost of on-campus residential options with off-campus housing. The University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, broke down the pros and cons of these two options; the school found that in most cases living off campus cost a student more per academic year than living on campus.
Call local apartment complexes to get an idea of their rental rates. Ask whether certain amenities--like parking, utilities and cable--are included. Duke University, the University of Akron and the University of Windsor all include these amenities in the cost of on-campus student housing.
Ask about lease options. While on-campus housing is based on housing for only the academic year (typically eight or nine months), off-campus housing can often be based on yearly contracts. This means you could be paying for an apartment or condo even during the summer months when class is not in session. This could negate any month-to-month savings you'd see over on-campus housing.
Ask your school to provide you with a map of resident hall and on-campus apartment locations.
Plot out on a map the locations of some of your top off-campus living options.
Note which option--on campus or off campus--is closer to your classes. This is largely a measure of convenience. If you live on campus you can probably walk to your classes or the library. Off-campus housing is typically farther away, so you may need a car to get to and from class. You may have to pay for an on-campus parking permit as well, further adding to the cost.
Talk to students who already attend the school. Get their thoughts on on- and off-campus living. Student opinion may be the best indicator of which option is best for you.
Consider privacy. Dorm and suite-style living requires multiple students to share a single bathroom and often a single bedroom. This can leave you without a lot of personal space or privacy.
Determine whether your school has a vibrant on-campus community. Do a lot of social activities happen on campus? Are their additional perks to living on campus? Asking these questions--both of current students and administrators--can help you get a clearer picture of the on-campus environment. Research by Stanford University's Rudolf Moos and Elisabeth Lee found students who live on campus participate in more school activities, earn higher grades and are more likely to graduate than students who elect to live off campus.