A double room in a West Virginia University tower costs $3,682 a semester in 2026–27, and most incoming undergraduates with fewer than 24 credits must live on campus unless WVU grants an exemption. I found no Morgantown rent figure, so private rental is left out.
Hall rates come from WVU Housing and Residential Life’s room and meal rates page, checked on 5 November 2026. Rates are per person, per semester. Apartment List’s Morgantown page showed no rent figures.
Cost at a glance: what to add up
Before you compare the prices on this page, check what each figure actually covers:
- Rent period: per week, month or semester, and per person or per room.
- What is included: utilities, internet, contents insurance and any meal plan.
- One-off costs: deposit, application or booking fee, and any first-month payment.
- Getting to campus: travel passes, or the extra cost of living further out.
- Currency: prices here are in the local currency. Convert them at your bank’s current rate and add the transfer fee. Rates change daily, so we do not publish rupee figures.
Anything we could not confirm from an official source is flagged on this page as “could not verify”, so read those notes before you rely on a figure.
WVU residence hall rates per semester, 2026–27
| Hall | Single | Double | Triple | Quad |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boreman, Dadisman, Bennett, Braxton and Lyon Towers, room | $4,628 | $3,682 | $3,499 | $3,294 |
| Same towers, suite | $4,628 | $3,927 | $3,886 | $3,857 |
| Brooke Tower, room | $4,740 | $3,771 | $3,584 | Not listed |
| Summit Hall, suite | $4,759 | $4,038 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Lincoln Hall, suite (Honors College only) | $4,863 | $4,660 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Stalnaker Hall, suite | $4,863 | $4,133 (double and loft) | Not listed | Not listed |
| Honors Hall, suite (Honors College only) | $4,936 | $4,729 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Oakland Hall, suite | Not listed | $5,136 | Not listed | Not listed |
Seneca Hall studio apartments are $6,248 a semester for the two-bedroom, $5,929 for the three-bedroom and $5,718 for the four-bedroom.
Who has to live on campus at WVU
The requirement covers all incoming undergraduates with fewer than 24 credits. Transfer students with 24 or more transferable credits are not required to live on campus but may apply. Anyone subject to the rule who does not complete the housing application is charged the standard double-room rate (WVU Housing, on-campus requirement policy, applying from Fall 2023).
| Exemption route | What WVU says |
|---|---|
| Home county | Students from Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Taylor and Wetzel counties in West Virginia, or Fayette and Greene counties in Pennsylvania, may qualify. They must live at their admissions address with a parent or guardian. |
| Age | Students who turn 21 by 1 September of their first year on campus are not required to live in the halls. |
| Family or service | Married students, custodial parents of a dependent child and veterans with one year of consecutive active duty may qualify with documents. |
| Medical | Register with the Office of Student Accommodations. Housing does not review medical paperwork. |
| Not accepted | Living with a sibling, another relative or a family friend. |
Even if you think you qualify automatically, the request goes through myhousing.wvu.edu. WVU says special requests become hard to accommodate after 1 April, and it advises against signing a binding off-campus lease until an exemption is approved. Responses can take up to two weeks. For fall 2026, the housing portal opened on 14 January 2026 and required a paid academic deposit first. I could not find 2027–28 dates.
Dining plan prices
WVU Dining lists three residence hall plans under a “Spring 2027 Dining Plans” heading. The page does not say outright that these are the only prices for fall, so treat them as the spring figures.
| Plan | Price per semester |
|---|---|
| Go Anytime (default plan) | $3,204 |
| Go 13 | $3,012 |
| Go 10 | $2,804 |
A residence hall student’s fall 2026 plan carries over to spring 2027 automatically. To change it, contact WVU Dining Services. Adding the cheapest plan to a tower double ($3,682) puts a semester in the halls at roughly $6,486 before any other charges. That sum is my arithmetic from two different pages, not a WVU quote.
Renting privately in Morgantown
I have no verified rent figures for Morgantown. I have not ranked neighbourhoods or listed private blocks, because I could not verify prices or area details against reliable sources. What I can check is the law and the scam warnings, below.
West Virginia deposit rules
| Question | Rule under West Virginia Code chapter 37, article 6A |
|---|---|
| Is there a cap? | The text I read sets no maximum deposit (§37-6A-1). |
| When must it come back? | Within the notice period: the shorter of 60 days after the tenancy ends or 45 days after a new tenant moves in (§37-6A-1 and 2). |
| What can be deducted? | Unpaid rent and agreed late charges, damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, unpaid utilities the landlord paid, removal and storage of your belongings, and other charges in the lease (§37-6A-2). Deductions must be itemised in writing. |
| Can I see the records? | Landlords must keep deduction records for one year and provide a copy within 72 hours of a written request (§37-6A-3). |
| What if they withhold it unfairly? | If the landlord acts wilfully or not in good faith, you can recover the amount plus one and a half times the sum wrongly withheld (§37-6A-5). |
Getting around without a car
WVU students ride the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) free with a valid WVU ID, and the public pays $0.50. In fall 2026 the PRT runs Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 10:15 p.m., and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and on listed dates, including 22–29 November and from 12 December to early January 2027. WVU students and employees also ride Mountain Line buses free with a WVU ID. I found no Mountain Line hours on that page.
Spotting rental scams
The US Federal Trade Commission lists these warning signs: a listing that copies photos from a real one, rent far below the local level, an owner who is “out of the country”, pressure to decide fast, payment only by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency, and requests for your Social Security number before you have agreed to rent. Search the address and owner name together, view the property in person or on a verified tour, and report suspected scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
What I could not verify
Private rents, application fees and housing deposits, 2027–28 application dates, whether fall meal plan prices match the spring figures above, and Mountain Line hours. I read the deposit rules from a text excerpt of the code, so check the current statute before relying on them in a dispute.
Talk to us about your budget and city
Not sure which option suits you or your family? Send us your city, budget and room type, and we will point you to the right guide and the next steps to check. Students and parents are both welcome to ask.
Frequently asked questions
How much do WVU residence halls cost?
From $3,294 a semester for a quad room in the towers to $6,248 for a Seneca Hall two-bedroom studio apartment in 2026–27.
Do I need a meal plan?
Residence hall students are placed on a dining plan, with Go Anytime as the default at $3,204 a semester on WVU Dining’s spring 2027 listing. The dining page does not state the rule itself, so confirm with WVU Dining Services.
Do first-year students have to live on campus at WVU?
Yes, unless exempt: the rule covers incoming undergraduates with fewer than 24 credits. Exemptions include certain home counties, turning 21 by 1 September, and approved medical or family cases.
How long does a West Virginia landlord have to return a deposit?
Within 60 days of the tenancy ending, or 45 days after the next tenant moves in, whichever is shorter. Any deductions must be itemised in writing.
Is public transport free for WVU students?
Yes. Students ride the PRT and Mountain Line buses free with a valid WVU ID, according to WVU’s fall 2026 transport page.
Comparing nearby options? See our guides to student accommodation in Pittsburgh, Blacksburg and Columbus, or browse all US student accommodation guides.
Sources
- WVU Housing and Residential Life: room and meal rates, 2026–27
- WVU Housing: on-campus requirement
- WVU Housing: future residents (fall 2026 portal)
- WVU Dining: residential dining plans
- West Virginia Code, chapter 37, article 6A (security deposits)
- WVU: traveling around campus, fall 2026
- US Federal Trade Commission: rental listing scams
All checked 5 November 2026.
