3-Bedroom Apartments Near Baylor: The Best Option for Groups of Three
You've got your two closest friends from freshman year, you all want to live off-campus, and you're trying to figure out the math. The standard advice is either "get a 4-bedroom with someone you don't know yet" or "share a 2-bedroom and flip a coin for the private room." Neither is a great answer. A 3-bedroom apartment near Baylor is the obvious solution — and it's underrated simply because most search results for "3 bedroom apartments waco tx" return listing pages, not actual guidance.
Here's what you need to know.
The Math for Groups of Three
Per-person cost is the only number that actually matters when you're splitting rent. Here's how the 3BR stacks up against other configurations at 19Eleven:
| Floor Plan | Monthly Rent | Per Person |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Bedroom (solo) | $1,035–$1,250 | $1,035–$1,250 |
| 2-Bedroom (split two ways) | $1,295–$1,530 | $647–$765 |
| 3-Bedroom (split three ways) | $1,425–$1,660 | $475–$553 |
| 4-Bedroom (split four ways) | $1,750–$1,800 | $437–$450 |
At $475–$553 per person, a 3-bedroom floor plan at 19Eleven sits right between the 2BR and 4BR — and it gives every person their own bedroom. You're not giving up much per-person savings compared to going four ways, and you're keeping the group to people you actually chose to live with.
For context: Baylor on-campus housing runs roughly $1,849/month all-in when you factor the mandatory meal plan. Three people sharing a 3BR at 19Eleven each pay $475–$553 — about one-third the cost of campus housing, with a full kitchen, in-unit washer/dryer, and no 10 PM quiet hours.
Why Three-Person Groups Get Stuck
Groups of three end up in a frustrating spot when apartment hunting. The most common workarounds:
The 4-Bedroom with a Stranger: Filling that fourth room means interviewing someone you may not know well, and it adds lease complexity. If that fourth person leaves mid-year, the three of you often absorb the slack on rent. It's also one more personality to navigate in a shared space.
The Overcrowded 2-Bedroom: Some groups try to squeeze three into a two-bedroom — one person gets the living room or converts a space. This works for exactly one semester before someone resents it.
The "We'll Figure It Out" Approach: Starting the search too late and ending up with whatever's left. In Waco's student housing market, 3-bedroom units move fast because groups of three are common and the supply is limited.
The right answer is a 3BR where everyone gets a bedroom from day one. You lock in your group, avoid the stranger-roommate risk, and each person has a defined private space.
What You Get at 19Eleven
19Eleven's 3-bedroom apartments are loft-style — exposed beams, polished concrete floors, 10+ foot ceilings, open kitchen-to-living layout. The industrial character is something you won't find at resort-style complexes like The Grove or Addison Waco, where every unit looks identical.
Each unit includes:
- Washer and dryer in-unit (not a shared laundry room)
- High-speed internet included
- Parking included
- Gated community with controlled access
The flat monthly fee is $97/month per unit — covering trash, pest control, internet, and facilities. Split three ways, that's about $32/person on top of rent. No surprise bills.
Beyond the unit itself, residents have access to the full amenity package: indoor pool, sports court, bark park, and study rooms with coffee bar. The amenities are included in rent — they're not a "resort fee" tacked onto your bill each month.
Location: 0.5 Miles from Baylor
19Eleven sits at 1911 S 8th Street — about a 10-minute walk to Baylor's south campus. For three people who may have different class schedules, walking distance matters more than it sounds. You're not coordinating rides or fighting for parking permits every day. One person has an 8 AM lab, another has an afternoon seminar — both can get to campus independently without a car.
Waco average rent for a 3-bedroom apartment runs around $1,460–$1,529/month based on current listings. 19Eleven's 3BR range of $1,425–$1,660/month is competitive with the market — and unlike most listings, the price includes amenities, W/D, parking, and internet that would typically add $200+ per month elsewhere.
How to Split the Costs Fairly
Even with equal bedrooms, some groups want to account for bedroom size differences or better closet space. A few approaches:
Equal Split (simplest): Everyone pays the same. Works when bedrooms are similar in size, which they are in most 19Eleven layouts.
Adjusted Split (fairer for unequal rooms): If one bedroom is noticeably larger, that person pays slightly more. A common formula is to divide by bedroom square footage.
Utility Rotation: Rather than splitting the flat fee, rotate who pays it each month as an offset. Less math-heavy.
Whatever you decide, put it in writing before move-in day. Handshake agreements work until they don't.
Comparing to Other 3BR Options Near Baylor
The Waco student apartment market has 3-bedroom options across a few different categories:
Resort-style complexes (Grove at Waco, Addison Waco): Furnished, higher price point, often bundled with amenity packages that bump your effective monthly cost. Standardized layouts without the loft character.
Older apartments off Franklin Ave or Valley Mills: Lower sticker price, but amenities vary widely. Some include W/D, most don't. Check what's actually included before comparing rent numbers.
19Eleven: Loft-style, gated, all amenities included, 0.5 miles from campus. Transparent pricing — what you see on the floor plans page is what you pay, plus the flat $97/month fee.
For groups of three who want their own space, a central location, and don't want to deal with hidden fees, 19Eleven's 3BR is hard to beat at $475–$553/person. It's cheaper per person than living alone, significantly cheaper than on-campus, and everyone gets a real bedroom.
When to Start Looking
Waco's student housing market moves on a fall cycle, with the best units going to groups who sign in October or November for the following August. If you're reading this after January, units are still available but your choices narrow. The 3-bedroom configurations go first precisely because demand from groups of three is higher than supply.
If you and your two friends are still figuring it out, the right move is to schedule a tour before the conversation stalls. Seeing the actual space makes the decision easier — and it gives your group a concrete anchor to plan around.
The Bottom Line
Groups of three near Baylor have one right-sized option: a 3-bedroom where everyone gets their own room and no one is sharing with a stranger. At 19Eleven, that comes in at $475–$553/person per month — less than any dorm configuration, with more space, more amenities, and 10 minutes from campus on foot.
Compare it against the 4-bedroom option if your group is debating adding a fourth person, or look at the 2-bedroom guide if it's down to just two of you. Either way, 19Eleven's transparent pricing makes the math straightforward.
Ready to lock in your group for next year? Apply now or schedule a tour to see the 3-bedroom layout in person.
