Apartments students actually rent
Every community below is real and was checked against its own website in August 2026 — the links go straight to each property's site and floor-plan page so you can compare layouts and current rates.
| Community | Distance | Units & sizes | Rent | Furnished? | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress Point FURNISHED apartments available — rare here, and it removes buying and reselling furniture for one year | 101 Felix St (Seabright) | Studio, 1x1, 2BR/1BA 440-771 sqft | $2,606-$4,187/unit incl. mandatory fees | Both | website |
| Hidden Creek Apartments The 686 sqft 2BR from $2,999 is among the lowest 2BR entry points in the city | 200 Button St (central) | 1BR loft, 1x1, 2BR/1BA 450-686 sqft | $2,750-$3,845/unit | No | website |
| The Breakers Cheapest true 1BR here at $2,350 — the trade-off is genuinely small units | 630 Water St (Walk Score 92) | Studio, 1x1, 2BR/1BA 310-660 sqft | studio from $2,554; 1BR $2,350-$2,945/unit | No | website |
| River Row Best transit position of any community here; 2 months free brings a $5,925 2BR to ~$4,940 effective | 444 Front St, downtown | Studio, 1x1, 2x2, 2BR townhome 441-1,330 sqft | studios $2,995-$3,345; 2BR $5,925/unit | No | website |
| Pacific Shores Closest large managed community to campus; unusually large units for Santa Cruz | 1240 Shaffer Rd (Westside) | 1BR and 2BR 790-1,035 sqft | call for rates (~$3,555 1BR reported) | No | website |
| Anton Pacific New luxury on Pacific Ave; realistically only works split three or four ways | 800 Pacific Ave, downtown | Studio-2BR, 35+ plans 516-1,305 sqft | studios from $3,237; 2BR $4,939-$6,913/unit | No | website |
| Riverwalk Apartments (income-restricted) Below-market nonprofit housing — long waitlists, treat as a long shot, not a plan | Downtown, San Lorenzo River | Income-restricted apartments | income-based, no market rent published | No | website |
Rates and availability change every lease season — verify everything with the property before signing.
How this compares with living on campus
UC Santa Cruz's cheapest on-campus option is a college apartment triple at $13,635 per academic year — and unlike the halls, no meal plan is forced. Remember that campus rates often bundle things an apartment does not — and an apartment lease usually runs 12 months instead of the academic year.
See on-campus rates & what's included
What you'll need
Heads up — this school breaks the usual rules
- A meal plan is MANDATORY in the residence halls but optional in the college apartments. That single difference is the biggest cost lever at UCSC: a hall double is about $21,249 all-in, while an apartment triple is $13,635 with no forced plan.
- Skip the mini-fridge in college apartments and The Village — they have kitchens or kitchenettes with a full fridge. Residence hall rooms need one, and UCSC neither provides nor rents them.
- Personal wireless routers are banned in buildings with upgraded campus WiFi — a rule students trip over constantly.
- Also banned: space heaters, air conditioners, halogen desk lamps (LED or CFL only), and skateboards, roller skates and hoverboards inside.
Buying the standard college checklist here will waste money — check your building first.
Furnished units still need bedding, kitchen basics and cleaning gear; unfurnished rentals add the big anchors — mattress, bed frame, sofa and a table. Our checklist filters by furnished vs unfurnished so you only pack what your unit is missing.
Apartment checklist Apartment shop