One of the biggest questions facing a college student is housing—whether to live in the residence halls or in an off-campus apartment.

Troy Larson, a graduate student majoring in industrial engineering, said he felt apartment life was typically more expensive than residence hall life.

“Also, if you can’t cook very well, like me, you end up back in the dorms,” Larson said.

Financially, this question raises the most important issue for college students—which is less expensive?

For the 1992-93 school year, the rates for Stevenson Towers and Grant Towers Residence Halls were $1,478 per semester for students with a double occupancy room and the 21-meal plan, and $1,458 per semester with double occupancy and the 14-meal plan.

Rooms in the towers are the most expensive on campus. Rates in residence halls range from $3,906 per academic year in Grant or Stevenson Towers to $2,866 per year in Gilbert Hall.

However, there are a variety of alternatives to residence hall life, including off-campus residence halls and apartments.

University Plaza, a private residence hall located at 900 Crane Drive, charges $1,765 per student each semester.

University Heights Apartments, 1110 Varsity Blvd., charges $429 per month for a one bedroom, and $560 per month for an efficiency apartment, both with a 12-month lease.

Paul Carmack, a senior criminology major, said, “I found the cost varies depending on the rent and the number of roommates.”

Carmack also said that he found his rates slightly higher than the residence halls, but if he had had more roommates, they would have been considerably lower. “The dorm benefits are worth the cost,” he said.