The transition to college — which for many students is their first time living on their own — can be stressful. To ease that adjustment and build a sense of belonging, many colleges require first-year students to live on campus.
“Living on campus makes the whole world of your campus feel a little smaller and more manageable,” Megan Chibanga, director of residence life and student housing at the University of New Mexico, wrote in an email. “Campuses can be big and intimidating, but when you live right next to hundreds of other students who are also trying to navigate the campus experience, there is a great chance you’ll be able to make lasting and meaningful connections that can help you on your journey through college and will extend well beyond the time you shared together in the same hallway.”
[Read: What to Know About Choosing Between Housing on or off Campus.]
But living on campus is not just reserved for first-year students. There are also plenty of campus options for upperclassmen. Here’s what to know about living on campus.
Types of College Housing
When imagining college housing, the first thought that comes to mind is likely residence halls with single, double or triple rooms and shared hall bathrooms. But at many colleges, on-campus living options have expanded to include Jack-and-Jill style rooms (two rooms connected by a bathroom), suites with private rooms and a shared living room and kitchenette, apartment style housing and even small townhouses.
“In general, an on-campus residential experience provides students with greater structure, support, and connection to the campus community,” Brenda Ice, senior associate dean and senior director of residential life at Brown University in Rhode Island, wrote in an email. “Residential staff provide education and engagement through programs and activities, and operational services such as utilities, custodial, and maintenance are included in the room rate.”
Students who live off campus, on the other hand, “need to be prepared to independently manage their lease, monthly bills, and relationships with landlords, roommates, and neighbors,” she says.
Costs vary, but some colleges charge a single rate for all on-campus housing. For off-campus housing, costs are dependent on location, size of unit and amenities.
“In some locations of the country, the cost of living on campus pales in comparison to the off-campus housing market, and in other parts of the country, the direct costs are closer to equal,” Chibanga says.
Housing Selection Process
The housing selection process looks different at each campus. Some colleges have first-year students rank their preferences for residence halls as part of the housing application. Others allow both first-year students and upperclassmen to select their own rooms.
“It’s similar to picking a seat on an airplane where you are going in and literally picking the building, the floor, the room and the space that’s going to be yours,” says Alicia Browne, director of housing administration at the University of Alabama.
Colleges often have a lottery system in which students are assigned a time slot during which they select from the available housing.
[READ: Resources for College Students Facing Housing Insecurity.]
“We parse out our housing inventory and this is also the same in most places,” says Derek Doucet, dean of students at Middlebury College in Vermont. “Upperclass students who have been here a little longer have a selection of different properties and often higher priorities than their younger counterparts.”
Many schools also have living-learning communities, where freshmen and beyond can apply to live. These themed residential communities give students the option to live with peers who share similar academic interests, identities or passions. Living-learning community participants were up to three times more likely than other campus residents to meet with faculty, attend class, see an advisor or use academic support services, according to a 2021 Association of College & University Housing Officers–International report.
Choosing a Roommate
Generally, colleges send out a roommate questionnaire to first-year students as part of the housing selection process, which asks questions about sleep and cleanliness habits. Students are then matched with others based on their responses.
Doucet advises students to be “realistic” rather than “aspirational” in their questionnaire answers.
“Sometimes we hear students describe information about how they hope they will be in college as opposed to how they have been,” he says. “We really encourage students to be as honest in their self-assessment as possible. That allows us to make the best possible matches with the highest chances of setting up a compatible pair.”
As for older students, it may be tempting to live with friends, but it’s also important to think about compatibility.
“We’ve all had those friends in college that we both like to hang out with and can also imagine ourselves living with,” Doucet says. “But there are also those friends that are fun to hang out with and at the end of a time socializing, you’re like, ‘OK, enough is enough.’ They’re both important. They’re both fun. But I think drawing that distinction for yourself again in really honest ways is pretty important.”
On-Campus Housing Safety
To keep students safe, university housing typically has restricted access and requires residents to scan their student ID to enter the building. Experts also advise students to take extra safety precautions by keeping their rooms locked, especially at night.
Many colleges have cameras posted around campus and in buildings. Resident assistants, as well as other residence life staff members, and campus police officers are available to provide support for students in case of an emergency.
[Read: College Campus Safety: Questions to Ask]
Benefits of Living on Campus
Some research has shown that freshmen and sophomores who live on campus have higher retention rates than their peers who live off campus.
“I think it’s mostly to do with how being on campus fosters engagement,” Browne says. “It’s easier to get to events and attend a club meeting if you’re just walking across campus versus driving from your apartment. It helps students be more involved and that’s really key to a freshman, especially. Finding their place at a university, getting connected and making friends, that’s just so much easier when you are physically living on campus.”
Additionally, she adds that RAs are “great support systems.”
Students “are away from home probably for the first time and have tons of questions,” Browne says. “To know that there are people right there in your building whose job is to answer your questions, help you with roommate issues, show you how to put in a work order if you have a maintenance issue or just help you figure out how life works on campus, is really valuable.”
Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.
More from U.S. News
How to Stay Safe on a College Campus
Don’t Make These 8 Mistakes as a College Freshman
How Colleges Are Addressing Food Insecurity
Living on Campus: A Guide to College Housing originally appeared on usnews.com
