When packing for college, you should bring ten days’ worth of pants for each type of weather you’ll encounter at school. That means that if you go to college in a climate that has hot springs/falls and cold winters, you should bring ten days’ worth of long pants and ten days’ worth of shorts.
Not interested in putting up with inclement weather at college? Check out Best College Reviews’ ranking of the 25 colleges with the best weather.
You will want to bring ten days’ worth of pants for one simple reason: You don’t want to run out of clothes between laundry cycles. Most college students do laundry once per week. Having enough pants for one week is technically all you need to get by—but what happens if you spill a drink on yourself? Or if you trip and get your pants dirty? or one of your favorite pairs of jeans rip?
Trust us: You’ll be glad to have some backups.
Additionally, college students pay $1-3 per load to do their laundry. This adds up. At Tufts, where laundry costs students an average of $3/week, this adds up to $90 per year. While this might not sound like a lot, $90 is a lot to the average college student.
The Point: You don’t want to waste your money running half-full loads of laundry. Bringing more clothes than you need to get through a week will allow you to make the most of your laundry money.
What kinds of pants should I bring to college?
Use the table below to determine how many of each type of pant you should pack for college:
| Pant Type | Number of Pairs to Pack |
|---|---|
| Jeans | Bring 2-4 pairs of jeans to college (assuming you wear jeans for 1-2 days per wash cycle) |
| Dress pants (khakis, slacks, etc.) | Bring 2-3 pairs of dress pants to college (4-5 pairs if you have an internship or white collar job) |
| Dress shorts | Bring 5-6 pairs of dress shorts, such as Bermuda shorts, to college |
| Athletic shorts | Bring 5-6 pairs of athletic shorts to college (7-10 pairs if you’re an athlete) |
| Casual shorts | Bring 1-2 pairs of casual shorts to college (to use as pajamas, esp. on hot nights) |
| Sweatpants/Leggings | Bring 3-5 pairs of sweatpants and/or leggings to college |
Want more advice on packing for college? Check out our guides below:
Noah graduated Summa Cum Laude from Worcester state University with a Communications major and Writing minor. At school, he was the Executive Editor of the online newspaper, a tutor at the school’s writing center, and an all-around good guy. He is the Founder and Content Manager of Edu FAQs, and is here to clear up your questions and make your college experience as exciting as it is educational.