Can you only live with a host family or can you live in a dorm?

At least in my specific location we had the option of living with a family or living in an apartment.

From my experience, there are no dorms for the USAC Alicante program. You can choose to live in the host family setting or you can live in an apartment with other USAC students. The apartments (and families) are in downtown Alicante, which is about a 30 min bus ride from campus, but are walking distance to shops, restaurants, the central market, beach, bus and train stations.

Universities abroad are not like universities in the United States. The on-campus lifestyle of a dorm doesn't really exist outside outside of the U.S., and in Alicante there are no dorms. You will have the choice of living with a host family, sharing an apartment with international students, or sharing an apartment with other USAC students. The type of experience you want is going to determine what option you choose. Good luck!

You can live in an apartment with Americans, an apartment with international students from all over the world, or with a host family. You don't want to live in dorms because the university is a 20 minute bus ride from downtown and you will want to live in downtown where everything is. All of the apartments and host homes are in the center of downtown in great locations.

The most common housing options in Alicante are in shared apartments with U.S., International and/or local students, or living with a host family. I believe the short winter program is the only one that has dorm options. Otherwise it isn't common to have dorms in Spain. Most locals live at home. They all have pros and cons depending on what you are looking to gain from the experience. Living with a host family is great if you want to really practice the language and get to know daily customs. It can of course be challenging if you have any dietary restrictions and can be a little more expensive since it includes meals, laundry, utilities, etc. Apartments are great for the flexibility but it makes it so you have to really go out of your way a bit more to get language practice and immersion. The program advisors are really great at USAC and you should talk to them about the housing options a bit more.