When you’re crammed into student housing or a two-bedroom apartment with six other roommates, and space is at a premium, finding compact and decent but affordable furniture isn’t always easy — especially when it comes to tracking down a desk that gives you enough space to work but doesn’t take up half the room.

So we've gone ahead and done the back-to-school legwork for you. Here are five sleek, space-saving student work areas that should give you all the room you need without the sprawl. And with your options starting at just $60, you won’t have to spend your entire summer savings to upgrade from those stylish upside-down milk crates you’re using right now.

1) Contemporary Computer Cart

Price: $59.99^*

Where to Find It: Target

For you minimalists who don’t want anything elaborate, expensive, or multi-compartmentalized to do your work on, this stripped-down-to-the-basics contemporary computer cart is a must-buy. Made of wood composite in your choice of black, white, or red, this desk offers, very simply: a flat surface for your laptop or monitor, a slide-out keyboard tray, and a small lower shelf for you to prop some books, a PC tower, or a subwoofer. Small enough for even the tightest-fit studio apartments, this computer cart covers the basics and won’t bust your budget at just $59.99.

2) IKEA Goliat

Price: $79.99^*

Where to Find It: IKEA 

The IKEA Goliat is the quintessential college workspace: small, durable, but still offering plenty of space for a college student’s clutter. You also have a sliding keyboard tray, in case you’re hauling a desktop to school, and you can say goodbye to that inevitable mess of twisted cables and cords: The pre-cut hole in the back will let you bind your cords with cable ties and snake them down behind the desk in one fixed place.

3) Ameriwood 17349 Student Desk

Price: $91.99^*

Where to Find It: The Simple TV Stand Store

Finished in oak and black, this ready-to-assemble desk from Ameriwood takes the stylish and space-conscious convenience of the Goliat in a different direction, offering an additional side shelf for books, CDs, or anything else you need to store. Desktop users will appreciate the sliding keyboard tray, while laptop owners can use this space for still more storage. Order from The Simple TV Stand Store and get free shipping.

4) Student’s Contemporary Dorm Computer Station

Price: $235.62^*

Where to Find It: Dorm Room Station

Curved sleek steel topped with blue glass, this is the workspace for those of you who’ve had it with retro and are going future instead. Where many desks force you to set up your computer monitor on the main desk surface, pretty much leaving you with almost no space to spread out your papers and books, this work station conveniently shuttles your monitor off to the side so you can actually use your desk for studying or writing. And you’ll have the added convenience and storage of a slide-out keyboard tray, CD rack, book cubby, and printer shelf, all within arm's reach.

5) Twin Bed Loft With Built-In Desk

Price: $685.00*

Where to Find It: Dorm Room Station

For the truly cramped quarters, here’s a workstation that stacks your bed over your desk for maximum space saved. This bed-and-desk combo is costlier than the other four desks, but you're getting two essential pieces of furniture in one. The loft bed comes with its own ladder and guardrails (no rolling off this one), and you have generous desk space and shelves underneath.

* Advertised prices as of July 28, 2008.