Undergraduate Housing
Living in a Columbia residence hall is a vital component of your undergraduate experience. You’ll find a rich, supportive community, learn from the diverse experiences of others, and build friendships that will last a lifetime.
All undergraduates (except 2nd-year Combined Plan students and visiting students) who file their intent to reside on campus and remain continuously registered as full-time students are guaranteed university housing.
Explore the sections below to find out more.
Incoming Students
As a first-year student, you’re required to live on campus and will find your home in the “South Lawn” area, close to the main library, student center, Columbia Health, and the main dining halls. You’ll quickly build community with other first-year students and independence as you make the adjustment to university life in an urban setting.
You’ll apply for housing in the spring before you arrive on campus and receive your assignment through email by July.
Find out more about first-year housing, including information about accommodations and the application process.
Information for Transfer & Exchange Students
Returning Students
Each spring, rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors participate in Room Selection, a lottery process that allows students, either individually or with a group of fellow undergraduates, to select their living space for the upcoming fall term.
Most sophomores live in singles or doubles in corridor-style buildings while many juniors and seniors transition to living in groups within suites or apartment-style options.
You may also choose to join one of a number of Special Interest Communities or Fraternity & Sorority organizations, both of which have dedicated space in brownstone-style buildings near campus.
Find Out More About Room Selection
Campus Housing Options
Columbia has more than 20 different student residences, ranging from first-year halls in the heart of campus to upper-class housing on the edge of Riverside Park. Find out everything you want to know, from location to floorplans to past Room Selection data.
Explore Columbia Residence Halls
Special Communities
Your time at Columbia affords a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a living community built around a particular interest or facet of your identity. Our Special Interest Communities include structured programming and events while our Themed Communities are more informal and vary from year to year based on student interest.
Fraternities and Sororities have rich histories formed around shared values and provide a unique context for friendship, leadership development, learning, and civic engagement.
Off-Campus Housing
Though first-year students are required to live in university housing, as a returning student you may wish to explore other options. Find information and access resources created to help you navigate New York’s rental market.
International Students
For any student, making the move to New York City is complex and daunting. As an international student enrolled at Columbia, you face an extra layer of complexity. The International Students & Scholars Office has assembled a number of housing-related resources geared specifically toward your needs.
See International Student Resources
Transfer and Exchange Students
If you are a transfer or exchange student enrolling at Columbia Engineering, you’re guaranteed housing for a specified number of consecutive terms, depending on your class and eligibility. Follow the links below to find out all the details.