UNT recently ranked #13 for cost difference in Trulia’s comparison of how much it costs to live on campus and off campus in 48 of America’s biggest college towns.

The off-campus median monthly rent in UNT’s hometown of Denton, Texas, is $922, compared to the UNT on-campus monthly housing cost of $567. That’s a cost difference of $355, which is a huge savings for students, especially if they are struggling to afford tuition and books. Addressing affordability concerns on campus is one of UNT’s main goals, and the university continuously strives to keep costs as low as possible.

“We are proud to be included in this list as it shows our commitment to putting our students’ needs first,” said Gina Vanacore, executive director of the UNT Department of Housing and Residence Life.

According to Business Insider, to determine this list, Trulia chose U.S. Census-defined places of at least 45,000 people, 20% of which were enrolled in college or graduate school. Consulting the website of the largest college or university in each place, the site then calculated on-campus housing costs for a full nine-month academic year based on monthly or per-semester rates, excluding meal plans where possible. Trulia then compared on-campus monthly housing costs to the median estimated monthly cost of a two-bedroom home in a 12-month rental in each place, assuming the cost was split in half between two roommates and divided over nine months to match the academic year.

In addition to saving money, UNT students who live on campus also have higher GPAs, a larger support network and direct access to faculty and staff, and they are more likely to graduate on time. They also are engaged through one-on-one interactions, community connections and campus events provided by Housing and Residence Life, which prides itself on providing high-quality service and transformative experiences to its 6,200 residents.

“Housing and Residence Life staff collaborate to create a welcoming, diverse and inclusive environment that promotes student success and a sense of belonging,” said Vanacore. “Our vision is to be a world-class housing and residence life program.”

For more information on Housing and Residence Life, visit https://housing.unt.edu.

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Contact: Ray Willhoft, 940-565-2464, raymond.willhoft@unt.edu