Are Tiny Houses the New College Apartments?

Living in an on campus or off campus apartment can become very expensive.  

A majority of the time, apartment rent will cost even more than your tuition.  US News estimates the average room and board fees for the year to be over $9000 at public universities, and this price is only going to go up, putting students in even more debt.  While off-campus housing may be cheaper, according to Business Insider, it can still range between $7,184-12,375 for nine months.  Assuming a student spends 4 years at university, that would equal about $28,736 at the very minimum on apartment rental on top of the cost of tuition, books, and food.  

We have been hearing across the US about people saving money by building their own tiny houses to live in.  Tiny House Builders explain the cost to build a tiny house can range from $15,000-20,000, but can be even less if you know where to buy your materials for cheap.  Even though the upfront cost seems like a lot, it can really pay off in the end because you can sell the house when you graduate.  The downside, of course, is building it yourself.  DIY is not for everyone and how many students have the time or energy to build a house?  Buying a tiny house can be more expensive than building, but it may still be worth it depending on your location.  Westminster College in Pennsylvania began their own Tiny House Project in 2016 in order to provide sustainable living for their students.  However, we have yet to see success on this project or whether other universities will follow.

So are tiny houses the new college apartments?

Probably not.  At least not yet.  But maybe they should be.  It could really offer a more affordable option to college students who do decide to go this path.  However, if more universities get a hold of this new trend, we’ll be back to square one.  

About the author:

Aniqa Chowdhury is a third-year Communications major at San Diego State University with a growing passion for creative writing.  Aside from writing, she also enjoys taking public speaking classes and reading fiction novels.  Her hope is to work in the entertainment industry when she graduates.