Housing and Commuting

Housing

Living on campus is often the best option for postdocs, especially when you first come to the Bay Area. Advantages include:

  • generally lower cost 
  • convenience of living on campus
  • no long-term rental contracts
  • close to free UCSF shuttles
  • no credit check
  • no deposits required
  • no reference checks
  • no need to find roommates on your own

Space in campus housing is limited. Apply as soon as possible.

Campus Life Services also offers advice about short-term housing needs and additional information especially for international students and scholars.

Want to live off-campus? UCSF partners with Places4Students.com to list housing opportunities near campus. The most commonly used online resource for finding apartment rentals in the Bay Area is Craigslist.org. (Craigslist is not affiliated with UCSF in any way.) See also a list of other Bay Area housing-related websites.

Commuting and Transportation

Whether you live in San Francisco or in the greater Bay Area, good public transportation systems (e.g. BART, CalTrain, and AC Transit) make it feasible for many postdocs to live off-campus, while still having reasonably short commutes and keeping costs down. 

Visit the UCSF Campus Life Services website for information about public and shared transportation including:

Events
Tue
28
Orientation for New and Continuing UCSF Postdocs
Date: January 28, 2025
Time: 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. PT
Thu
27
Orientation for New and Continuing UCSF Postdocs
Date: February 27, 2025
Time: 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. PT
Tue
25
Orientation for New and Continuing UCSF Postdocs
Date: March 25, 2025
Time: 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. PT
Tue
29
Orientation for New and Continuing UCSF Postdocs
Date: April 29, 2025
Time: 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. PT

See All Events