Despite the increasing popularity of public-private partnerships, empirical research about the origins, models, and long-term outcomes of this approach to financing, constructing, and managing college student housing is scant. In this study, we sought to investigate the origins, models, and outcomes of public-private partnerships in college student housing through a multi-site case study of three public research universities. Beyond filling a void in the research literature, our primary aim was to examine the on-the-ground experiences of housing department staff to glean lessons for practice. Accordingly, we offer in-depth profiles of each site that may help practitioners in the field as they navigate whether and how to most effectively partner with private developers to finance, construct, and manage college student housing. [Discussion questions developed by Diane Waryold and Pam Schreiber.]