U-Box for Moving to College: Costs & Options
Here’s the quick answer: Collegeboxes is U-Haul’s student moving and storage service, offered at hundreds of U.S. and Canadian schools. It ships boxes for $45 – $100 each and stores dorm items from $50 per item per 4-month term. For a full room with furniture, its campus U-Box container costs $923.80 plus tax, including pickup, summer storage, and delivery back to campus.
- More than 20,000 locations with prominent pricing
- Rental options include everything from pick-up trucks to 26-foot moving trucks
- Gentle-Ride Suspension add protection to avoid damaging your items during transit
- U-Box moving containers available if you don't want to drive
Why moveBuddha:
- On average, moveBuddha users save more than 30% by comparing movers before booking.
- When you choose a moveBuddha Certified mover, you get $1,000 in added move coverage, plus dedicated support throughout your move.
- If something goes wrong, moveBuddha provides dispute mediation with Certified movers to help resolve the issue and protect your move.
Jump to the U-Box for college info you’re looking for:
Collegeboxes: Program at a glance
Collegeboxes is U-Haul’s student moving and storage service. It started in 1999 at Duke University, U-Haul bought it in 2009, and it now serves hundreds of schools in the U.S. and Canada.
It’s a good fit for students shipping or storing boxes, luggage, bikes, and a few pieces of furniture. You pack everything yourself, then FedEx or Collegeboxes movers pick it up. Your items go to climate-controlled storage near campus or ship straight to your destination.
Services vary by school. Some campuses only offer direct shipping, so check your school’s Collegeboxes page before you plan your move.
Collegeboxes pros & cons
- Pay per box, not per unit
- Dorm-room pickup & delivery at many schools
- Climate-controlled storage
- $100 coverage per item included
- Ships year-round via FedEx
- Costs add up for big moves
- Services vary by school
- Fees for missed pickups & late cancellations
- You pack everything yourself
Collegeboxes pricing
Collegeboxes charges per box or item, and prices depend on distance, size, and weight. Storage rates cover pickup, climate-controlled storage, and delivery.
Collegeboxes storage prices (per 4-month term)
| Item size | Price per item |
|---|---|
| Small item | $50 |
| Collegebox | $56 |
| Medium item | $76 |
| Large item | $82 |
| X-Large item | $88 |
| XX-Large item | $130 |
| Specialty item | $176 |
| Furniture over 100 lbs | $264 |
Collegeboxes shipping prices (per box)
| Distance | Direct shipping | Ship to school |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $45 – $60 | $75 – $90 |
| Regional | $60 – $90 | $90 – $120 |
| Coast-to-coast | $75 – $100 | $105 – $130 |
Ship-to-school rates include a $30 handling fee per box, since Collegeboxes receives and stores your boxes until move-in day.
Extra Collegeboxes fees
- Heavy boxes: $25 – $50 for boxes over 50 lbs
- Boxing or reboxing: $20 per box
- Late cancellation: $75 within 48 hours of your appointment
- Missed appointment: $90
- Special pickup or delivery: $500
Collegeboxes supply kits
The Collegeboxes Supply Kit costs $39.99 plus tax and ships right after you buy it. If you’re not moving furniture, one kit may hold most of your dorm room.
- 5 reusable double-walled boxes (24” x 16” x 18”)
- 1 bonus box (36” x 24” x 7”)
- 1 roll of U-Haul packing tape & 1 permanent marker
- 5 zip ties
- 10 FedEx label pouches
Collegeboxes coverage
Collegeboxes includes $100 of declared value coverage per item for shipping and storage. Extra coverage costs $3 for every $100 of added value, so it’s worth it for laptops, TVs, or other high-value items.
Want to know more about U-Box? Check out our U-Box review where you’ll learn more about the pros, cons, and costs of the service.
Learn MoreCollegeboxes services
Collegeboxes offers several student services. These differ from a standard U-Box rental, which moves a full container from one home to another.
1. Ship to school
Ship boxes from home before your first semester or after summer break. You order supplies, pack, and FedEx picks up your boxes. Collegeboxes stores them at a local U-Haul facility and delivers them to your dorm on move-in day.
2. Summer storage & shipping
Collegeboxes movers pick up packed items from your dorm room on set pickup dates, then store them near campus. You pay a term rate per item instead of renting a full storage unit. You can store items, ship them home, or do a mix of both, and Collegeboxes delivers stored items to your room when you return.
3. Curbside storage & shipping
At some schools, you drop off packed items at an on-campus location instead of getting in-room pickup. Collegeboxes stores them and delivers them when you return.
4. Direct shipping
Direct shipping sends boxes and luggage by FedEx straight to school or home any time of year. There’s no storage or in-room pickup, so it works best for off-campus students or anyone flying to school.
5. International shipping
Studying abroad? Collegeboxes international shipping costs $295 – $700 per box, depending on the country. The price includes customs paperwork, FedEx Express pickup, and $100 of coverage per package.
6. Ship retail orders to school
You can have online orders sent to Collegeboxes, which holds them and delivers them to your room on move-in day. A handling fee applies to each package received.
Campus U-Box containers for bigger college moves
Per-box pricing gets expensive if you have furniture or a full room of stuff. At participating schools, Collegeboxes drops a U-Box container on campus, you load it, and U-Haul stores it for the summer.
- Price: $923.80 plus tax per container
- Includes: Campus pickup in June, summer storage, delivery back to campus, a lock, $1,000 of coverage & a dozen storage pads
- Size: 95” x 56” x 83.5” inside, or about 257 cubic feet
- Weight limit: 2,000 lbs
- Capacity: About 1 – 1.5 furnished rooms
You pack and load the container yourself. Stack items to the ceiling, use tie-downs, and wrap furniture in the included pads. Not sure what fits? See our guide to what fits in a U-Box.
Collegeboxes vs. U-Box: Which is cheaper?
Based on current Collegeboxes prices, a campus U-Box is cheaper once you have about 17 or more Collegeboxes to store. At $56 per box, 17 boxes cost $952 per term, which is more than the $923.80 container.
| Your situation | Best option |
|---|---|
| A few boxes, no furniture | Collegeboxes storage |
| Boxes going straight home | Direct shipping |
| Full room with furniture | Campus U-Box |
| Roommates storing together | Shared campus U-Box |
Splitting one container with 3 roommates brings the cost to about $231 each for the summer.
Tips for moving to college with U-Box
- Pack light: Bring clothes, electronics, and personal items. Buy bedding and bulky basics near campus or order them online.
- Book early: Collegeboxes pickup dates are set by school and fill up before finals.
- Label everything: Use the label pouches so each box goes to storage, home, or your new room.
- Share storage: Split a U-Box with friends to cut summer storage costs.
- Check move-in rules: Dorms often limit parking, elevator times, and move-in slots, so a delivery to your room saves time.
Other container storage options
| Company | Quote | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
UNITS Moving and Portable Storage 
|
Check prices |
 
4.3 / 5
|
|
U-Pack 
|
Check prices |
5 / 5
|
|
Zippy Shell 
|
Check prices |
4.2 / 5
|
|
Moving to a new city after graduation, or switching schools? Other moving container companies may be a better fit for a full apartment. Here are a few U-Box alternatives to consider.
U-Pack ReloCube
U-Pack’s ReloCube has about 308 cubic feet of space, which is a good size for a small apartment or a year of dorm stuff. You get three business days to load and unload, and you can store the container at a U-Pack service center. Read our U-Pack review and see how much U-Pack costs.
rating
5 / 5
PODS
PODS offers 8-foot, 12-foot, and 16-foot containers and serves a wide area, including smaller college towns. You can keep the container at home or store it at a PODS facility. See how much PODS costs.
rating
4.8 / 5
1-800-PACK-RAT
1-800-PACK-RAT rents 8-foot, 12-foot, and 16-foot steel containers with a 30-day minimum and unlimited loading time. That gives students time to pack around finals. Read our 1-800-PACK-RAT review.
rating
4.45 / 5
Zippy Shell
Zippy Shell offers 10-foot and 15-foot containers that are street-legal, so they work well at urban colleges with limited parking. It serves 35 states and is a sister company of 1-800-PACK-RAT. Read our Zippy Shell review.
rating
4.2 / 5
Is Collegeboxes by U-Haul right for you?
Collegeboxes is best for students with a few boxes to store or ship. A campus U-Box makes more sense once you have furniture or about 17 or more boxes. For a full apartment move after graduation, compare quotes from the best moving container companies.
Hiring movers instead? A moveBuddha Certified mover adds $1,000 in move coverage and moveBuddha-backed dispute mediation if something goes wrong.
Questions? Text Collegeboxes at 781-428-4262 (7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET, Monday – Friday) or visit the Collegeboxes help desk.
FAQ
How much does Collegeboxes cost?
Summer storage costs $50 – $264 per item for a 4-month term, depending on size. Direct shipping runs $45 – $100 per box, and ship-to-school runs $75 – $130 per box. A supply kit with 6 boxes costs $39.99.
How much is a U-Box for college?
The Collegeboxes campus U-Box costs $923.80 plus tax per container. That covers June pickup, summer storage, delivery back to campus, a lock, pads, and $1,000 of coverage. Split it with roommates to save.
Is Collegeboxes owned by U-Haul?
Yes. U-Haul bought Collegeboxes in 2009. It uses U-Haul storage facilities, U-Box containers, and FedEx for shipping.
Is Collegeboxes or a U-Box cheaper?
Collegeboxes is cheaper for a few boxes. A campus U-Box is cheaper once you have about 17 or more boxes, or any furniture. Compare both with your actual item count.
Does Collegeboxes pick up from dorm rooms?
Yes, at many partner schools, on set pickup dates. Some schools only offer drop-off or direct shipping. Check your school’s page before you book.
Is my stuff insured with Collegeboxes?
Each item includes $100 of declared value coverage. Extra coverage costs $3 per $100 of value. Add it for electronics or anything worth more than $100.
How we chose the best moving companies
The moveBuddha team has spent nearly 10 years evaluating moving companies using a rigorous review system to identify the best moving companies. Our thorough methodology evaluates each moving company's services, cost, customer service, and reputation:
Moving services (35%):
We verify operating authority, insurance, and service scope against FMCSA/SAFER and state databases. We confirm availability via standardized mystery-shopping calls (packing tiers, storage type, specialty handling, delivery windows, valuation), and then review contracts alongside complaint and claims patterns over time.
Customer feedback (28%):
We run structured post-move surveys through our Better Moves Project with verifiable documentation. We emphasize on-time performance, care of goods, and estimates’ accuracy, and we investigate outliers before they influence scores.
Online reviews (7%):
We aggregate ratings across multiple third-party sites to reduce platform bias, analyze overall trends and company response behavior, and discount obvious spam/fake signals such as sudden bursts, duplicate language, and low-history profiles.
State availability (12%):
We confirm USDOT numbers, broker vs. carrier status, and any required state permits, then score a state-by-state service matrix that accounts for coverage gaps, seasonal limits, and lane strength. We award additional credit for documented cross-border or specialty lanes.
Additional services (12%):
We verify whether add-ons are performed in-house or subcontracted, look for crew training/certifications for high-value or oversized items, count only documented offerings (tariffs, photos, written service descriptions) confirmed via mystery shopping, and reward robust pre-move planning (virtual surveys, itemized crating).
Quotes/Payment options (6%):
We test standardized move profiles to assess estimate type (binding, not-to-exceed, non-binding), line-item transparency, and disclosed surcharges, require clear written policies for deposits, refunds, and cancellations, and award points for secure, flexible payment methods and customer portals.
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