I moved to USC from east coast US.  When I called around for apartment rentals, a woman asked me what is the monthly rent range I’m considering.  Upon hearing my number, she laughed out load for a long time.  I ended up finding what was considered a really good deal in a place few blocks west of campus, which was still half the size and 3x the rent of what I’m used to.  During my stay there, the adjacent houses had one stabbing, one shooting, few robberies and many thefts. 

I was fortunate enough to not have any real bad encounters beside two bikes stolen.  The school does drive students home if you leave studio late at night.   But still, depend on whether you have a black belt in something, the “cheapest housing possible” may not be a sensible choice.  Avoid properties south of campus or on the other side of the 110 freeway. 

I’ve heard success stories of several international students (different majors) getting connected and shared a place as roommates.  Maybe consider contacting the school to see if you can connect with other int. students?  Best of luck!

Hi CrazyHouseCat,

I was just wondering if there would be any websites for that ?

And I heard that the on campus hostels are quite expensive , is that true ?

If you want apartments that aren't related to the university, then classifieds as mentioned above. Probably too late to get graduate housing but might be worth a shot for a small application fee loss. There's always those expensive managed shared room options students near and around campus.

Since you're an international, consider arriving early and checking those listings out. Don't just sign up for anything that looks good online.

Try to live north of campus. West, east, and south are all dangerous. Because there's The Row north of campus where all the Greek houses are, USC seems to put more security there. Also, all the major housing companies are overpriced, so try to look for landlords who operate privately.