Starting college is an exciting time for many new students who will find themselves in a new environment with different people, rigorous courses, and opportunities to join communities that align with their interests. For many college students, the prospect of dating is also an intriguing option, as they’ll be around a large population of their peers and have more independence than they would at home. However, not all schools have the same playground for dating, and students may find some campuses more appealing than others for finding a new match.
RentHop compiled the largest 100 schools across the country and ranked them by their desirability for single students, considering the possibilities and costs for dating, tuition, and housing cost. Our findings include the following:
Key Findings
- Single students studying in Georgia must carefully consider where they want to attend school; the state has the best and worst schools for dating.
- Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA is the most appealing college for singles. This school comes in first place for dating and also charges a low tuition.
- Rents surrounding college campuses did not increase drastically this year, with a median increase of 2% nationwide.
- Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA, came last on our index with the worst dating score.
Most Appealing Colleges for Singles
1. Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA
Kennesaw State University is the most affordable college for single students. This campus has the highest dating score, where students have a wide selection of people to date and a relatively low cost of date options like dining out or grabbing a cup of coffee. The median rent for off-campus housing around the university currently sits at $1,950 monthly, and students can lower their housing costs by having roommates.
2. Utah Valley University, Orem, UT
Students at Utah Valley University live in a more affordable housing market and pay lower tuition than most campuses in our rankings. This campus has one of the highest enrollment counts on our Most Appealing list, providing students with abundant opportunities to meet and date other singles.
3. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Single students at Oregon State University also have an advantageous dating scene, with the second-highest dating rank on our list. Students can take each other on affordable dates in this area, where a cappuccino costs under $5. The university also enrolls many students, with over 35,000 people taking courses last year.
4. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Texas Tech University students pay less tuition than most colleges on our list and also have a strong dating market. In-state students pay an average of $11,752, and out-of-state students pay $27,272. Students can choose between several low-cost date spots and will have plenty of dating options.
5. Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Auburn University has one of the most affordable rental markets where renters can expect to spend $1,200 monthly on an apartment. Students will also find an appealing dating scene with lower dating costs than other campuses.
6. North Carolina State University at Raleigh, Raleigh, NC
The cost of housing did not drastically change this year, and students at the North Carolina State University at Raleigh can expect $1,718 to rent an apartment. While this rent is higher than most places on our Most Appealing list, students will pay lower tuition than most colleges, with an in-state cost of $9,657 and an out-of-state tuition of $29,220.
7. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Students in Salt Lake City can expect to pay $1,295 a month for off-campus housing near the University of Utah. The cost of going on dates is lower in this area than most spots on our index, making this campus an ideal location for those looking to meet others on a budget.
8. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Michigan State University has the best housing rank on our Most Appealing list. Students can expect to spend $997 monthly on rent, one of the cheapest rents on the entire index. The school also came in third place for its dating score, where students don’t have to break the bank to go on a date.
9. University of Maryland, College Park, MD
The University of Maryland has the worst tuition and housing affordability scores on the Top 10 list but comes in fourth with the dating rank. The median rent for off-campus housing around the University of Maryland currently sits at $2,246, making it the 29th most expensive college in our index. Students will also have a higher tuition bill than students who attend most other schools. However, the university enrolls many students and has a relatively low cost of dating activities in the area, making it an appealing option for students looking for love.
10. University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte will pay less tuition than most colleges on the list, with a low in-state tuition of $7,114 and an out-of-state tuition of $20,442. The median rent for off-campus housing is around $1,648 monthly.
Least Appealing Colleges for Singles
1. Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus, Atlanta, GA
Georgia Institute of Technology’s main campus is the least appealing college for single students. The school has the lowest dating rank on our index, with a lower enrollment rate and dating costs that are more expensive than in other parts of the country. However, the school does have a favorable tuition cost, where in-state students can pay as little as $6,099. Students who are not looking to date in college may find this school appealing, but singles looking to mingle should consider other options.
2. George Washington University, Washington D.C.
George Washington University also scores poorly in the dating sphere and has high tuition and housing costs. With a median rental price of $2,750, students face an expensive market that leaves less discretionary spending on dates, which also runs a high price. Additionally, the high tuition of $62,220 makes the financial circumstances less appealing for prospective students. Those who attend the school may spend more time analyzing their finances than going on dates.
3. New York University, New York, NY
New York University could be an exciting campus for finding a date, but the high prices of activities in New York City make this a less appealing option for singles. The school has the worst housing rank of all the colleges on our index due to the incredibly high average rent of $4,795. Students likely need to live with roommates to afford housing at this school, which dampens their dating situation.
4. Boston University, Boston, MA
Boston University has the third highest tuition on our index, charging students an average of $62,360. The school has a more appealing dating score than the others on the Least Appealing list, but the high tuition and housing costs in Boston make this school expensive to attend, leaving less money for dating activities.
5. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Virginia Commonwealth University rounds out our list of the least appealing colleges for dating. The school comes in 97th for dating, but students will pay less rent and tuition here compared to the other schools on the Least Appealing list.
Full Dataset
Methodology
To find the best colleges for students looking for love, the RentHop team compared the largest 100 colleges in the U.S. based on (1) dating score, (2) tuition cost, and (3) off-campus housing cost. The RentHop College Singles Index 2024 covers the following metrics:
Dating Score (70 Points)
- Dating Opportunity, measured by male to female ratio (50 Points)
- Cost of Dating, which includes meals for two people (5 points), cost of coffee (5 points), cost of gas (5 points), and cost of groceries (5 points)
Tuition Cost (20 Points)
- Average tuition per year
Off-Campus Housing Cost (10 Points)
- Median rent from RentHop’s College Rent Report, which calculates the median price for all listings within 2 miles of the center of campus, was taken and ranked from most expensive to least. If there were not enough listings within 2 miles of the campus, we then expanded the radius to ensure that enough listings were included. In denser and more developed cities, the radius was reduced accordingly to reflect housing availability around the campus. The following listing types were used to calculate the median rent price: apartment, house, townhouse, and triplex. Values refer to the median of all bedroom types, i.e., not just a one-bedroom or two-bedroom off-campus apartment.
For more information on our methodology or to contact our data team, please email press@renthop.com.
