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A majority of Texas State University students live off campus in the city of San Marcos.
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Residence life can be a key part of the student experience, but a majority of students do not have access to on-campus housing due to a lack of beds available at their institution, according to a 2025 survey from the student housing management platform StarRez. Data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study found that only 16 percent of all undergraduate students live on campus.
But the impact of moving off campus can create challenges in student retention and engagement. Sixty percent of colleges and universities that responded to StarRez’s survey say the transition to off-campus housing has a moderate to significant impact on the student experience. Additionally, 72 percent of institutions believe making the off-campus transition easier would improve student wellness and success.
Yet only 17 percent of surveyed institutions provide dedicated resources for smoothing the transition, according to StarRez’s survey.
Texas State University is one institution that has a dedicated team to encourage and support students as they move into their first apartment, offering digital resources, one-on-one advising appointments and on-campus housing fairs to assist them throughout the process.
The background: Texas State enrolls 40,000 students but, as of this fall, will have just over 10,000 beds on campus. While the university has a residency requirement for most incoming students, a majority move off campus after their first year.
Over the years, the university has developed partnerships with local apartment complexes that provide housing, and officials provide students with recommendations and information about trusted landlords. Texas State staff also partner with San Marcos city officials, such as the code of compliance team, to facilitate good relationships among the institution, students and the local community.
Supporting students: Given the university’s limited capacity to house students, staff consider it a top priority to provide students early on with education about opportunities to live off campus and the way the process works, said Jason O’Neill, director of housing administration.
Just over two in five undergraduates at Texas State are first-generation students, making it especially important to help them and their parents navigate housing complexities. Financial aid eligibility, for example, can be a confusing element of housing that students may need additional information about.
Texas State staff strive to ensure students know what resources are available, including the university’s Attorney for Students Office, budgeting worksheets and the Austin Tenants’ Council, so they’re prepared for any challenges that may arise.
In the event of a dispute between landlord and student, Texas State’s senior coordinator of off-campus living, Tyler Barstow, acts as a mediator, helping identify the source of the problem and possible solutions.
“My job is definitely being an advocate for the students,” Barstow said.
University staff also host quarterly meetings for apartment managers to share city and institutional resources and provide channels for landlords to report any issues they may identify with a student—such as retention concerns or basic needs insecurity—so the institution can intervene as needed.
Making connections: Texas State offers a variety of ways for students to learn about housing options.
The university hosts a large event in the fall, River Fest, which includes a music festival, games, street food and various off-campus vendors and organizations seeking to create connections with students. Off-campus housing partners are invited to market their rooms there. Students can also browse available complexes at off-campus housing fairs hosted in October and February each year.
“The idea is, go there, you have all the apartments there, you can ask that one question that will determine where you want to live to everybody all at once,” Barstow said.
Texas State hosts an off-campus housing market on its website, supported by College Pads, which lists 59 apartment complexes in the San Marcos area. The university does not endorse or promote one complex over another, O’Neill said, but any listed on the website has been verified as a partner of the university.
Connecting Students Off Campus
A 2024 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed and Generation Lab found that 25 percent of students said they’d be more involved if they lived on or near campus.
Hosting a commuter orientation can be one way to encourage engagement and participation in on-campus events and activities. Some institutions provide resources and education about how to be a good neighbor in their local off-campus community, as well.
Apartment complexes go through a vetting process before staff include them on the website. This process includes ensuring the complex has been open for at least six months, taking an in-person tour, reviewing any present or outstanding complaints with the city, and listening to student feedback or complaints about the property.
“The word on the street definitely means something,” Barstow said. “We like to know what students know about these places or what they think about them before we tell other students that it’s a great thing to do.”
Each complex is also on Texas State’s shuttle route, ensuring easy access to campus, and most host student-focused and student-centered events, promoting community belonging and engagement.
Barstow also hosts meetings with students and parents who are looking for advice, helping them understand price differences or various amenities included in on- versus off-campus housing.
“[Parents and students] can come in, and it can be alarming and shocking, but it’s cool to see them at the beginning of the appointment and then at the end and they’re leaving with, ‘Oh, we already have vetted apartments that the city and the university are happy with.’”
How does your college or university support students with supportive housing resources? Tell us more.
