Off-Campus Housing Near Assumption
Off-Campus Housing Near Assumption
email me if my perfect place pops up
Nothing here fits, and nothing comes close. 13 properties match exactly.
Nothing from students fits this, and nothing comes close. 13 properties match exactly — or leave your email and we'll reach out the second a new one does.
About Off-Campus Housing Near Assumption University
Assumption University is a private Catholic university on Salisbury Street on the west side of Worcester, Massachusetts, in a residential part of the city near the Tatnuck neighborhood and the Holden line. About 2,400 students are enrolled, and it's one of the most residential schools in the state: on-campus housing is guaranteed all four years across 15 residence halls, and the university says nearly 80 percent of students live on campus all four years, in everything from traditional halls to townhouses and apartments with full kitchens. So the off-campus market for Assumption students is small, mostly seniors who want their own place and grad students. When they do rent, it's usually in the older two- and three-family houses and apartments in nearby west-side neighborhoods, or a bit farther toward the WPI and Highland Street area. Worcester is the second-largest city in New England, with more than a dozen colleges, so you're sharing the market with students from WPI, Holy Cross, Clark, and others. Rents are well below Boston's, and Massachusetts renter protections apply, including limits on up-front charges. WRTA buses serve Salisbury Street and connect to downtown and Union Station, but most off-campus students find a car handy.
Assumption University Housing Requirements
Freshman Live-On Requirement
Assumption is a heavily residential campus. It guarantees on-campus housing for all four years, and first-years live in one of four halls: Alumni, Desautels, Salisbury, or Worcester. The university's housing pages don't spell out exactly how many years you're required to live on campus or what the commuter exemptions are, so check with Assumption's Office of Residential Life before you make plans.
Off-Campus Eligibility
Upperclassmen can move off campus, but most don't, since the apartments and townhouses on campus are what people work toward. If you're thinking about renting, confirm your eligibility with Residential Life before signing a lease so you don't end up on the hook for both.
Lease Timing
Worcester leases are mostly 12 months, with many student rentals starting June 1 or September 1. In Massachusetts, a landlord can only collect first month's rent, last month's rent, a security deposit of no more than one month's rent, and a lock-change fee up front. Since August 1, 2025, the landlord pays the broker fee when the landlord hired the broker. Ask who pays heat before you sign.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Assumption University before signing a lease.
When to Start Looking for Housing Near Assumption University
Early Searchers
If you're moving off campus senior year, start looking in the fall or early winter of junior year. Worcester landlords who rent to college groups often lock in next year's tenants by January or February, especially for multi-bedroom units. A lot of Worcester student housing is in older triple-deckers, so walk through with current tenants and ask how the landlord handles repairs and snow. Grad students can start closer to the move, since many rent year-round units.
Peak Demand Window
January through April is the busiest stretch, since you're competing with students from WPI, Holy Cross, and Clark. Have your group settled and a guarantor lined up so you can sign quickly after touring. Check whether summer months are included, and ask about parking, since Worcester has winter parking bans during snow emergencies.
Last-Minute Options
If you miss the rush, Worcester is big enough that something usually turns up, especially rooms in shared apartments near WPI and Clark. Since housing is guaranteed all four years, staying in a campus townhouse or apartment is a solid fallback.
Neighborhoods Near Assumption University
Tatnuck and the West Side
The residential neighborhoods around campus and Tatnuck Square are mostly single-family homes with some multi-family houses. They're quiet and close to Assumption, but rentals are scarce and you'll have few student neighbors.
Highland Street and Elm Park
Closer to WPI, the Highland Street area and the streets around Elm Park have older triple-deckers and apartments popular with students, plus more restaurants. It's a short drive from campus, and you'll be sharing the area with WPI students.
Holden
Just over the city line, Holden is a quiet suburb with some apartments and houses for rent. It's a short drive to campus and a good fit for grad students who want a more suburban feel.
Frequently Asked Questions: Off-Campus Housing Near Assumption University
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A room in a shared apartment usually runs about $750 to $1,100 a month, and a one-bedroom is roughly $1,500 to $2,000. Worcester is much cheaper than Boston.
Assumption guarantees housing all four years, and most students live on campus the whole time. Check with the Office of Residential Life for the exact live-on rules and exemptions.
Most live on campus all four years. Seniors who move off often rent on the west side near campus or around Highland Street.
Not on campus. If you live off campus, a car helps, though WRTA buses run on Salisbury Street.
In the fall or early winter of junior year. Worcester student rentals get claimed by early spring.
Landlords can only charge first month, last month, a security deposit up to one month's rent, and a lock-change fee up front. You don't pay the broker fee if the landlord hired the broker.
The area around campus is mostly quiet and residential. Conditions vary across Worcester, so visit at night and ask upperclassmen.
Often not, especially in triple-deckers where each unit pays its own heat. Ask for last winter's bills.
Most groups form among friends on campus. Grad students often find rooms through program classmates.
With guaranteed four-year housing and campus townhouses and apartments for upperclassmen, most students never rent off campus at all.
More Housing Near Assumption University
Search by Room Type
Search by Lifestyle
Other Universities in Worcester
Other universities in Worcester share a similar off-campus housing market.
Clark University
Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, on a compact campus off Main Street in the city's Main South neighborhood, about two miles southwest of downtown. It has roughly 3,400 students, with a large share of graduate students alongside a small undergraduate college known for…
View housing near ClarkCollege of the Holy Cross
Holy Cross sits on Mount St. James, a steep, wooded hill on the south side of Worcester, Massachusetts, looking out over the city and the Blackstone River valley. It's a Jesuit liberal arts college with about 3,000 students, all undergraduates, and it's about as residential as a school gets: the vast majority of…
View housing near Holy CrossUMass Chan Medical School
UMass Chan Medical School is the University of Massachusetts system's health sciences campus, located on Lake Avenue North in Worcester, right next to Lake Quinsigamond and UMass Memorial Medical Center's University Campus. It's a public graduate school of about 1,300 students across the T.H. Chan School of Medicine,…
View housing near UMass ChanWorcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute sits on a compact, hilly campus on Institute Road in Worcester's West Side, next to Institute Park and a short walk from Elm Park and the Highland Street strip of restaurants and shops. WPI is a private tech school with a big undergrad population plus a sizable grad school. Starting with…
View housing near WPIWorcester State University
Worcester State University sits on Chandler Street on the west side of Worcester, Massachusetts, between the Tatnuck and Webster Square neighborhoods and a couple of miles from downtown. It's part of the state university system, and a big share of its students commute from around Central Massachusetts or rent nearby…
View housing near WSUSee how students rate the places near Assumption on social life, management, and quality before you tour.
Read student housing reviews near Assumption →