$17,000 a Year for a Dorm Room? Lower Your College Housing Costs

Wow, who would have thought that a state school would have some of the highest-priced dorm rooms in the nation? But yes, the University of California at Berkeley (right) has the second most-expensive dorm rent, at $15,307 per year.

The award for the highest-priced dorm goes to Eugene Lang College, part of the New School in (where else?) New York City. It charges $17,710, partly because it's located near hip Union Square and Washington Square Park, and is in buildings that are designated historical landmarks.

CampusGrotto.com recently listed the 10 most expensive college dorms for the 2010-11 school year. The good news is that the average room and board costs is nearly half that at Berkeley and Eugene Lang, costing $8,535 at public schools and $9,700 at private colleges. The bad news is that room and board prices rose last year by 4.6% at public schools and 3.9% at the private ones, and probably won't stop rising.