A Local Expert's Top Neighborhood Guide for Renters While Attending Major Colleges and Universitiies in Los Angeles

When most people think of collegiate destination cities, Boston and New York often come to mind in addition to smaller college towns. Los Angeles is better known for its industries like entertainment and aerospace, but the city has renowned institutions like Occidental College and UCLA.

I didn't come to LA until long after I was finished with college. However, I've observed that most college students in the city are locals who commute, as opposed to what I saw in my native NYC where people flock from around the world to attend schools there. There is usually an expectation to live on campus and demand for off-campus housing is high as dorms fill up fast. Los Angeles is the diametric opposite: the metro area is home to a wide array of technical and trade schools, in addition to multiple campuses in the public University of California and private University of Southern California systems. Students commute because on-campus housing is not offered at all, as is the case with most community colleges and trade schools. When on-campus housing is available, you can usually find a better deal with a rental nearby.

LA is more of an industry town than a college town, so transience is pretty normal no matter how far you are from your classes. Whether you're leaving home in Orange County or coming all the way from the Midwest, you can certainly find an unforgettable college experience with off-campus housing a reasonable distance from your school. Here are some of the top neighborhoods to consider when you're looking for rentals near major colleges and universities in Los Angeles. 

UCLA

UCLA, or University of California's Los Angeles campus, is the best-known college in the city. The school is situated in the heart of the west side of the city, but it also has a sprawling campus exceeding 400 acres in addition to UCLA Health medical facilities and its teaching hospital. Being a public university in the UC system, UCLA's acclaimed programs with affordable in-state tuition rates make it extremely attractive to California residents.

UCLA is a leading research institution that educates about 30,000 students per year. It has six undergraduate schools, seven professional schools, and four health science programs in addition to public health and medical schools. The university also has a robust athletics program, with The Bruins being a renowned team.

Westwood Village

Most of LA tends to be detached from the colleges and universities within it, lacking that "college town" feel you'll easily find in certain neighborhoods in Boston and New York. Westwood is the exception, as several blocks make it feel like a college town despite the campus being in the heart of the city.

Apartments near UCLA in Westwood tend to be in high demand, given the large staff and student body. It's also an extremely walkable neighborhood, with several options for shopping and dining along Westwood Avenue and Weyburn. Parking can be difficult and expensive, which makes that walkability to the UCLA campus incredibly desirable. You can also quickly and easily hop on LA Metro buses, Culver City Bus, and the Big Blue Bus to Santa Monica, and the Metro Purple Line is expected to arrive in Westwood around 2027.

Sawtelle

Sawtelle is a popular option for UCLA students who aren't able to find housing closer to campus. It's a hop and skip up the 405, or roughly a 20-minute bus ride to campus if you don't want to deal with nightmarish parking and traffic getting to class. You'll also be very close to the beaches and fun in Santa Monica via the Metro E line or the 10. Parking is easier to come by in Sawtelle. It's a quieter and more low-key neighborhood than the chaotic foot and car traffic you'll see in Westwood, which can make it easier to focus and study if you don't mind a slightly longer commute to school.

Century City

Century City is best known for the colossal outdoor mall, Westfield Century City, and a handful of studio backlots. If you want to see more of what LA has to offer when you're not in class, Century City has more housing options south of Santa Monica Boulevard that's still reasonably close to UCLA.

You'll have to go a little further out of the way for shopping and dining, but you'll also be a quick drive away from the nightlife of West Hollywood.  The area is primarily residential, so it's much quieter with greater sprawl than the UCLA area.

Occidental College

Nestled between Glendale and Pasadena in northeast Los Angeles, Occidental College is a small private liberal arts college. With roughly 1,900 students enrolling every year, Occidental, or Oxy as they refer to themselves, offers a more intimate and hands-on approach than your typical larger university. Oxy makes a point of engaging students with working artists and taking advantage of LA's unique network of museums, galleries, studios, and theaters with internships, partnerships, and fellowships.

Oxy offers on-campus housing, but you may be able to find a more affordable option off-campus that is still very close.

Eagle Rock

Eagle Rock is one of the most affordable off-campus housing options for Occidental students. Situated north of the campus, Eagle Rock has ample shopping and dining options on the main drags of Eagle Rock Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard. It is also a very quick drive into Glendale or Pasadena, the latter which has a thriving arts scene that students will want to take advantage of.

Parking is easier to come by in Glendale than the immediate area around the Occidental campus, but transit options are very limited.

Glassell Park

Glassell Park is a great neighborhood for an Occidental student looking for quick freeway access while being just a 10-15-minute drive from campus. The area is very residential and quiet with a handful of restaurants along the main drag, but you're also equidistant from the nightlife in Silverlake to the southwest and Highland Park to the east.

Highland Park

Highland Park has become a popular neighborhood for industry people who got priced out of Los Feliz and West Hollywood, making it ideal for Occidental students looking to make connections in the arts and film. York Boulevard is full of dining options, nightlife, thrift stores, and other small businesses that welcome artists and students. Parking can be difficult in this vibrant neighborhood and LA Metro and Pasadena bus service can be infrequent, but it is also served by the Metro A line to easily access Pasadena's vast art scene.

Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Catholic university in southwestern Los Angeles. LMU is a very highly-ranked school by the Wall Street Journal and is also a research institution in psychology and urban life in addition to having Division I athletics.

The LMU Gateway campus is very close to both LAX and incredible beaches dotting the Pacific Coast. Many of their dorms offer breathtaking beach views, but there are plenty of options for rentals near the LMU campus that are still a reasonable distance from the beach.

Westchester 

Westchester is a stone's throw from LAX, making it an ideal location for students who need to fly home to see their families. Additionally, it's very close to the 405 and LA Metro access is expanding in the area with the K line. Shopping and dining are extremely close by on the main drag, Manchester Avenue. Need a beach day? You can get to Playa del Rey in 15 minutes.

Additionally, Loyola students who are religious can easily find Catholic churches in Westchester.

Inglewood

Inglewood is a separate city in LA County, but an excellent option for Loyola students who don't mind a 15-20 minute commute to campus. It is a vibrant area with lots of restaurants, shopping, and proximity to SoFi Stadium and Kia Forum. There are transit options along La Brea and Manchester, and finding parking in Inglewood isn't as difficult as LA proper.

Ladera Heights

Ladera Heights is northwest of the Loyola campus, with Slauson Avenue and La Cienega as the main drags. The area is a little quieter and more low-key than other parts of LA's west side, with many families and multigenerational homes. If you're less interested in nightlife, don't mind a longer commute to school, and just want a quiet place to study, Ladera Heights is a close option.

University of Southern California (University Park)

University of Southern California (USC) is, as the name implies, a private university system located throughout Southern California. The University Park campus is located just to the southwest of LA's downtown core, DTLA. The area is also known as USC Village, and has a shopping center of the same name in addition to a dedicated Metro rail stop on the E line.

USC educates over 19,000 students per year and is an internationally-recognized institution. Despite such a large amount of students spread across multiple campuses, USC strives to keep class sizes small to emphasize group learning over lectures. There are over 20 undergraduate institutions at USC in the arts and sciences, and famous graduates include LeVar Burton and Will Ferrell.

Exposition Park

Exposition Park is the neighborhood, and the park of the same name, that surrounds the USC University Park campus. It sits along the Vermont Corridor, one of the longest and busiest transit corridors in the entire city, and Exposition Boulevard. Parking is incredibly difficult to find in the area, but the Metro E access into the west side, Santa Monica, and DTLA plus reliable Vermont Avenue bus lines make it very easy to live there without a car.

Not only are you a very quick ride from all of the nightlife in DTLA and Koreatown, Exposition Park is also a wonderland of education with world-class museums and the California Science Center. If you love sports, the BMO Stadium and LA Memorial Coliseum are also inside Exposition Park.

West Adams

West Adams is one of the most affordable options for USC students without compromising convenience. Some buildings there are also designated as student housing. Situated just south of the 10, West Adams is a primarily residential area. You'll have an easier time parking here than other neighborhoods in the USC vicinity, but transit is much farther away as are shopping, dining, and nightlife. However, you'll be close to campus and can find good deals in the area.

DTLA

DTLA is an incredibly underrated option for USC students, especially if you want to save money on car expenses. The Fashion District is closer to campus distance-wise, but DTLA proper has many underrated gems that offer great value. Restaurants for every budget and taste abound;  it's the closest LA has to a central nightlife district. Parking is a nightmare in DTLA, but you can reach the USC campus in less than 10 minutes from the 7th Street Metro Center station. The Last Bookstore also has everything you can't get on campus, and the stately and colossal Central Library can't be beat if you need a quiet place to study that's close to home.

Whether you're coming to Los Angeles to work in entertainment, or you'd love to have ocean views and the best Mexican food while you study, you'll be able to find an off-campus housing arrangement that works for you. You don't necessarily have to commute incredibly far to save money, and there's even more transit-oriented options than you realize depending on where you're going to school.