East Sacramento Intersection Transforming Into Sac State 'University Village'

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Don't call Sacramento State a commuter school anymore.

Student housing on and off campus has added thousands of units in the past few years—and now even more is on the way.

Sacramento State is suddenly become students' "home sweet home." James Treydte just moved into the dorms.

"It's been pretty great, you know, I've really been enjoying it," Treydte said.

Jennifer Schmidt moved into an off-campus house.

"It's convenient for me," Schmidt said.

University President Robert Nelsen has prioritized adding housing to help rid the campus of the image he now describes as a dirty word.

"I do call the commuter school the 'c' word," Nelson said. "And we don't use that word around campus anymore."

The newest housing plan at 65th and Folsom Boulevard is called Opus Student Housing.

The plan calls for a six-story apartment with more than 300 beds. And views of the Hornets Football Stadium.

The new housing is planned to go up at an intersection that has been transformed over the past decade to cater to students, including adding a Grocery Outlet city councilmember Jeff Harris worked to bring to the neighborhood for students.

"We're trying to create a university village kind of feel," Harris said.

Approximately 31,000 students attend Sacramento State, and nearly half—13,000—live on or near campus. That's double the number from a decade ago.

President Nelsen says students who live on or near campus have an average GPA of a full point higher than commuting students.

"They can go visit with their faculty members, they can go to office hours, they're there," Nelsen said. "There's a sticky-ness."

More students are now calling Sacramento State home. Goodbye commuter school.

"I'm joining a sorority this weekend," Schmidt said. "So we'll see how that goes."