I lived in campus housing at University of Kentucky last year. Like most schools, it only allowed fish. I don't know how I made it through the year, living in such a tiny "prison" cell without even a pet to distract me.

I now live in an apartment on the edge of campus (about a 10 minute walk to/from central campus) and I have my ball python and my hairless rats here with me. I like it a lot more (the dorm "experience" wasn't so great for me. I just... can't live in such a small, confined space. Oh, and I couldn't have a car so that compounded the problem as well) and it's just as affordable as living in a campus residence. I'm actually saving money because I wasn't forced to purchase a $1200 food plan of which I only used half! Which was the case last year.

With that in mind... not all apartments allow pets. Some will allow anything (some with a fee) and others are stricter than dorms. If you look for off-campus housing, make sure to check with the landlord about their policy. My complex strictly prohibits dogs and cats but anything in a cage is fine.