If you’re a college student shopping for storage units, prices can swing by more than $1,000 for the same-sized unit. We analyzed over 200,000 units near 200 U.S. universities to keep you from overpaying.
When You Need Storage (And When You Don’t)
Storage units are worth considering during:
- Summer break: Moving everything home costs more than storage, especially when you factor in airline baggage limits or the price of renting a van.
- Study abroad or a semester-long internship: You’re leaving for a few months but coming back to the same city. It doesn’t make sense to keep an apartment just to store furniture.
- The gap between leases: Your spring lease ends May 15, and your fall lease starts August 1. Month-to-month plans work well during those 11 weeks, especially when you get half off the first month.
One thing to know: billing is month-to-month, and you pay for the full month regardless of when you move out. There’s no proration.
What Size Storage Unit Do College Students Need?
Storage facilities list units by floor dimensions, which can mean nothing if you’ve never rented before. Most students need one of three sizes:
- 5×5 is right for a typical single dorm room. A twin mattress, desk chair, mini fridge, bike, boxes of clothes, and bedding all fit. The national average is $53 a month for a standard unit at a traditional facility.
- 5×10 works if you have a larger dorm or want to share the unit with a roommate. You can fit a full bed, desk, dresser, TV stand, small appliances, and several boxes. Expect to pay around $75 a month.
- 10×10 is for students moving out of an off-campus apartment. It fits the contents of a two-bedroom apartment. The national average is $120 a month, but you’ll probably be splitting the cost.
What to Store vs. What to Leave Behind
A quick sort before you pack saves you money and space.
Store your:
- Mattress, bed frame, desk, chair, dresser
- TV, gaming setup, monitors, and other electronics you won’t need
- Bike, since shipping it home costs $150–$300 round trip
- Winter coats, heavy bedding, ski gear
- Textbooks and notes you’ll need in the fall
Leave these out:
- Food, which attracts pests, and most facilities prohibit it
- Passports, jewelry, and irreplaceable documents
- Cheap items that cost less to replace than to store
If you’re worried about your stuff surviving storage, insurance typically costs $8–$38 or more per month. But if you’re booking a storage space on Neighbor, you can get up to $25,000 in protection, without a separate plan.
What Drives the Price of Storage Units for College Students
Before you book, keep these factors in mind:
- Distance from campus: Facilities you can walk to from your dorm charge more because they can. A unit farther away charges less for the same size and amenities.
- Online vs. walk-in rate: Students who book online save an average of $44 over 4 months, compared to those who show up to book. Near some colleges, that gap is over $100.
- Climate control: Some facilities offer stabilized temperature and humidity. If you’re storing a guitar or sensitive electronics, it’s cheaper than replacing your gear.
- Type of facility: Neighbor lists national brands like Public Storage and Extra Space in the same search as garages and spare rooms rented out by people who live near your campus. The neighborhood spaces are typically less expensive and closer by.
- The city your campus is in: Stanford, MIT, and Caltech are in cities where the cost of living runs 112–118% above the national average. Storage costs follow similar trends.
How to Pay Less
For storage over the summer, a few small decisions can add up to real savings over the summer:
- Book 3–4 weeks before you move out: Prices climb, and smaller units disappear before the semester ends.
- Share a unit with a roommate: A 10×10 split two ways is almost always cheaper than two separate 5x5s, especially if you’re storing shared furniture anyway.
- Only pay for what your stuff needs: Skip climate control for plastic bins, metal furniture, and clothes. But you’ll need it if you’re storing electronics, wood furniture, or instruments. And drive-up access matters if you’re moving heavy furniture.
Storing Your Car Over the Summer
If you’re leaving your car behind, a surface lot isn’t the safest option. Four months of summer can cause UV paint damage and temperature swings that affect tire pressure and battery life.
Opting for a covered car storage spot protects you against weather exposure, and it keeps the battery and tires in better shape.
Neighbor lists vehicle storage alongside self-storage, so one search shows everything available near you. A private garage listed on Neighbor typically runs cheaper than a similar space at a commercial facility.
Before you book, check out what to do before putting a car in long-term storage. A little prep now prevents battery and tire problems when you come back in the fall.
Find Storage Near Campus
If your campus offers storage, it’s usually for luggage and small bags. For furniture and everything else, you’ll need to look off-campus.
One search on Neighbor shows you traditional storage units and neighborhood spaces side by side, with photos and reviews to check. The neighborhood listings usually run up to 50% cheaper, and for every booking, you can get up to $25,000 in protection for what you’re storing. If you’re leaving a car behind for the summer, you’ll find vehicle storage, too.
More than 689,000 reviews give Neighbor a 4.9-star rating. See what’s available near your campus, or call us to talk it through.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size storage unit does a college student need?
A 5×5 storage unit fits what’s in a typical single dorm room: a single mattress, a desk chair, a mini fridge, a bike, and a few boxes of clothes and bedding. Students in larger dorms or an off-campus apartment should look for a 5×10 or 10×10.
When should I book storage for summer break?
Book storage 3–4 weeks before summer break starts. Units near campus fill up fast in May, and prices rise as move-out approaches. Students who book online and early save an average of $44 over the summer, compared to last-minute walk-ins.
Do I need insurance for a storage unit?
Many storage facilities require you to have coverage. You could go with the facility’s own protection plan, a standalone storage policy from a different provider, or a renter’s policy that extends to storage. If you book on Neighbor, you can get up to $25,000 in protection for your property.
