With so many housing options to choose from, it can be hard to know what the right fit is for you. From deciding on location, to finding roommates and setting a budget, the process can become overwhelming quickly.
Read Next: How Much Does it Cost to Live as a Student in Midtown?
At Rambler, we know how complicated the search for housing can be. To help simplify this process and give you a better comparison of your options, we have written this article to compare on-campus Georgia Tech housing and off-campus purpose-built student housing apartments like Rambler to help you decide which of the two is a better fit for you.
Georgia Tech On-Campus Housing vs. Off-Campus Student Apartments
Two of the most popular housing options for Georgia Tech students are on-campus Georgia Tech-owned housing and off-campus purpose-built student apartments.
Georgia Tech-owned housing includes both dorm- and apartment-style residence halls that are located on-campus and are owned and operated by the university.
Purpose-built student apartments are off-campus apartments specifically designed to cater to the needs of students through their close-to-campus locations, variety of on-site amenities and more.
Layout
Choose from one of Rambler Atlanta’s variety of floor plan options ranging from studio to 6×6.
On-campus Georgia Tech housing can either be dorm-style or apartment-style, while purpose-built student housing is apartment-style.
Dorm-style Georgia Tech housing typically features a room shared with one, two or three roommates, and a community bathroom, kitchen and lounge space shared with your hallmates. These dorms are specifically designed to ease the transition for freshmen from living at home to college life. While it’s not mandatory for all first-years to reside in dorms, it’s highly recommended that they participate in the First-Year Experience Program.
For second years and above, Georgia Tech offers apartment-style housing for both undergraduate and graduate levels. These apartments are leased directly from Georgia Tech. Unlike dorms, these apartments feature private bedrooms and shared living room and kitchen spaces. Floorplans range from 4×2 (four bedroom, two bathroom) to 6×3 (six bedroom, three bathroom) and amenities vary depending on the specific building selected.
For these apartments, rising second-year residents have priority if they apply by the specified deadline on the GT Housing website. All other students who apply will be selected for GT housing based on a lottery system. For more information on exactly when applications open for each group and how the lottery process works, see the GT Housing website or visit our article What is the On-Campus Housing Lottery and How Does it Work?
Purpose-built student housing is apartment-style, typically with individual bedrooms, private bathrooms and a shared kitchen and living space. Most apartment complexes offer a range of floor plans. These can range from studios and 1×1’s to 6×6’s.
Amenities
Just off the pool deck, the Rambler Atlanta’s club room is the perfect spot to catch up with friends, watch the game, or simply relax and take in the view.
The amenities of your apartment or housing complex can make a big difference in your everyday routine.
Purpose-built student housing apartments understand this and tailor their amenities to target the wants and needs of an off-campus college student. Amenities often include fully-furnished apartments, individual and community study spaces, pool decks, gyms and fitness centers. For some examples of what these amenities can look like, check out Rambler’s amenity page or our article on the top amenities at student apartments near GT.
On-campus housing also comes fully furnished, but will typically have less on-site amenities. Your apartment or dorm might be close to a smaller gym, but many students will instead opt to walk to the Campus Recreational Center (CRC) due to the lack of gym equipment in these smaller spaces. There may also be study spaces or lounges on your floor or within your building, but not with the private rooms that you’ll find in many student apartments.
Lease Type
There are two main types of leases: individual leases (often called “by-the-bed” leases) and joint leases (commonly referred to as “by-the-apartment” leases).
Both Georgia Tech on-campus housing and off-campus student apartments typically offer individual leases. Under this arrangement, each tenant signs their own lease agreement rather than sharing one lease for the entire apartment. This setup ensures that tenants are only responsible for their own rent payments and the upkeep of their assigned bedroom, bathroom and shared living spaces.
For instance, in a 3×3 apartment (three bedrooms and three bathrooms) shared with two roommates, each person signs a separate lease for their specific bedroom and bathroom. In this scenario, there would be three individual leases, and each tenant would be accountable solely for their own rent.
Read Next: 5 Benefits of Signing an Individual Lease as a Student in Midtown
Lease Term
While both GT housing and off-campus student apartments will likely offer individual leases, the lease term for each varies.
For on-campus GT housing, leases are for nine months from the start of the fall semester to the end of the spring semester. This means if you want to stay in Midtown over the summer, you will have to reapply for Summer housing or live elsewhere for the summer months.
At student apartments, all leases will typically be for twelve months from the start of the fall semester in August through the end of the next summer in July. This gives you the flexibility to stay on-campus for an internship or classes or to sublet if you chose to study abroad, live at home or take an internship out of state.
Read next: 7 Tips for Subletting Your Apartment
Pricing
On-campus GT housing is priced by the semester. As of publication date in January 2025, rates range from $3,505 to $5,338 per person, per semester for Fall and Spring semesters. This is around $700 to $1,200 each month over nine months. For current pricing, visit GT Housing and Residence Life.
Student apartments are priced by monthly rental rate. Prices for these apartments range anywhere from the $1,200’s to over $2,000 per person, per month. This rate is dependent on the location of the complex, building-age, size or type of floor plan and more.
Read Next: 6 Ways to Save Money on Off-campus Apartments
We hope this article helps you better compare your on- and off-campus housing options. If you have any additional questions or would like to learn more about Rambler, contact our leasing staff. We are more than happy to help you along in your housing search!
