Room & Board Calculator Formula

Understand the math behind the room & board calculator. Each variable explained with a worked example.

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Formulas Used

Annual Savings (Off-Campus)

savings = on_campus - off_campus_annual

Off-Campus Annual Cost

off_campus_total = off_campus_annual

On-Campus Monthly Equivalent

monthly_oncampus = on_campus / months

Variables

VariableDescriptionDefault
on_campusAnnual On-Campus Room & Board ($)13000
monthly_rentOff-Campus Monthly Rent ($)800
monthly_foodOff-Campus Monthly Food ($)350
monthsAcademic Year Months9
off_campus_annualDerived value= (monthly_rent + monthly_food) * monthscalculated

How It Works

How to Compare Room & Board Costs

Compare on-campus and off-campus living costs for the academic year.

Formula

Off-Campus Annual = (Monthly Rent + Monthly Food) x Academic Months

Savings = On-Campus Cost - Off-Campus Cost

Positive savings means off-campus is cheaper. Include utilities, commute costs, and meal plan value for a full comparison.

Worked Example

On-campus costs $13,000/year. Off-campus rent is $800/mo and food is $350/mo for 9 months.

on_campus = 13000monthly_rent = 800monthly_food = 350months = 9
  1. 01Off-campus annual = ($800 + $350) x 9 = $10,350
  2. 02Savings = $13,000 - $10,350 = $2,650
  3. 03Living off-campus saves $2,650 per year

Ready to run the numbers?

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