Updated at: 13-03-2023 - By: Eden Wise

Overview

There is a lot to think about when deciding which college to attend after graduating from high school, including location and major.

The Princeton Review is a college-admissions service that can help students who are struggling to decide between their options. The organization just came out with their annual ranking of the best college dorm rooms in the country based on ratings from current college students.

These are some of the best dorms at various universities, as shown inside.

Colleges With Best Dorms

Colleges with best dorms

Columbia University

Columbia University

According to its website, Columbia University in New York City provides “traditional residence halls, apartment buildings, and brownstones” for its students. There are approximately 5,800 full-time students, with annual housing costs estimated between $8,718 and $9,872.

The university also provides special housing for students who need it, such as those who identify as transgender, have disabilities, or are members of a recognized social fraternity or sorority.

Kansas State University

In the middle of Manhattan is where you’ll find Kansas State University. Each of the 10 dorms on campus has its own dining hall and convenience store.

Students who choose to live on campus have access to a variety of amenities, including sand volleyball courts, basketball courts, study rooms, computer labs, tutoring services, game rooms, and lounges.

Pitzer College

Dorms at Pitzer College in Claremont, California, are furnished with all the necessities of college life. Basic furnishings like beds and desks are provided, and students have access to Wi-Fi, washing machines, and cleaning materials.

Also permitted in student rooms are mini refrigerators, microwaves, and potted plants.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana

As one of the few schools on our list that has both male and female dorms, Rose-Hulman provides its male and female students with equivalent living conditions.

Students live in suites that feature four double bedrooms connected to a common area with a kitchenette and bathroom. Tenants can study in peace or unwind with neighbors on their balcony or patio.

Cooperative education at this institution allows students to gain practical experience in their field of study while also earning academic credit.

Bowdoin College

Apartments and off-campus houses are available to Bowdoin College students in Brunswick, Maine. Freshmen are obligated to live in one of the university’s eight dorms.

Each residence hall at Bowdoin College has its own character and amenities, but the senior dorms are particularly noteworthy. Parking spaces, cable TV, washers and dryers, and twin beds are all provided.

Scripps College

One of Scripps College’s 11 dorms is home to its 1,500 undergraduates in Claremont, California. According to the school’s website, each building is intended to provide a “sense of home and belonging” by means such as the use of common courtyards and the provision of on-site mentors.

There is no strict classification of students living in the dorms, such as placing freshmen in one wing and upperclassmen in another. Instead, students cohabitate in a democratic environment.

Christopher Newport University

Christopher Newport University

Christopher Newport University has 11 dorm options for its students in Newport News, VA.

According to the official website, each one is fully equipped with a kitchenette, a mini-fridge, and a microwave.

The freshman dorms are suite-style, while the upperclassmen dorms are more like apartments, with common areas and multiple bedrooms per unit. Greek life students can live in residence halls that are specifically designed for them.

High Point University

The dorms at High Point University, in North Carolina, are among the trendiest on campus.

Each of the 10 freshman dorms focuses on a different set of interests. The school claims that one provides around-the-clock tutoring, while the other is geared more toward after-school activities and has a movie theater and “upscale restaurant” on the premises.

There are fifteen different residence halls for upperclassmen to choose from, including the Greek Village for sororities and fraternities and several buildings with outdoor pools.

And if you’re looking for a change of pace, there’s a neighborhood of micro homes on the campus you can move into.

Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis, which is in the state of Missouri’s eastern panhandle, has the best dormitories, according to the Princeton Review.

Freshmen and sophomores have their own housing area (called the South 40) on campus, and there are many other options.

The latter offers a mixture of contemporary and historic structures, with rooms accommodating anywhere from two to six individuals. The school boasts that the South 40 has a “fitness center, dining facilities, technology center, meeting rooms, intramural fields, basketball and sand volleyball courts,” and more.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

One of the most prestigious schools in the United States is MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It has one of the most beautiful campuses in the world.

The two residence halls on campus are Simmons Hall and Baker House. Students can save time and energy by not having to travel between the two, as they are both conveniently located near each other and the main academic buildings.

In other words, it has some of the finest dormitories of any university.

Union University

Union University’s housing in Jackson, Tennessee, is highly rated on the student review site Niche.

Student life there is excellent, and the school as a whole receives an A-.

It has an annual tuition of about $31,980 and an acceptance rate of about 53%.

Indiana Wesleyan University

In addition to a B overall rating, Indiana Wesleyan University is rated highly for its excellent dorms, which receive an A .

Students looking to get their party on may want to look elsewhere. There is a D grade for the party.

A year’s tuition at IWU will set you back about $21,618.

Florida Gulf Coast University

Niche gives Florida Gulf State University a B overall ranking. Niche gives both the dormitories and the campus an A grade.

It has an annual tuition of $11,621 and an acceptance rate of 67%.

Smith College

Niche ranks Smith University, located in Massachusetts, as the third best college for women in the United States.

It has an overall A rating on the website, and its dorms also receive an A . There is a 32% acceptance rate and an annual tuition of $28,905, with 71% of students receiving some form of financial aid.

University of Mobile

According to Niche, the University of Mobile is the sixth best institution of higher learning in Alabama and has an overall grade point average of B .

Its dormitories and campus are both rated as excellent on the official website. There is a 46% approval rate for it. This university has annual tuition of approximately $21,847.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

When it comes to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research, few institutions can match the stature of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). All undergraduates at MIT are provided with housing for their full four years of study, adding to the institution’s reputation for a vibrant student community. Thousands of prospective students have MIT in their sights because of its reputation as one of the colleges with the best dorms and its intensely competitive, highly motivated campus culture based on 150 years of traditions, nerdy interests, and a notorious pranking culture (from which the modern meaning of “hack” emerged).

Simmons Hall, designed by renowned architect Steven Holl and opened in 2002, is one of the most recognizable structures on the campus of one of the world’s most recognizable universities. Simmons, also known as “The Sponge,” was inspired by a simple sea sponge and has received both praise for its design innovation and a designation as an “Eyesore of the Month.” Simmons has its own constitution and governmental structure that it calls “lounge style,” and the campus community is widely regarded for its creativity and sense of camaraderie. There is room for 340 undergrads in the hall. Even at a school known for its pranks, the Simmons pool will occasionally fill up with rubber ducks, and invasive architecture fans will occasionally need to be escorted out. It’s as nice of a dormitory as you can imagine at a university.

Bowdoin College

Bowdoin College, one of the best liberal arts universities in the United States, was established in 1794, long before Maine gained its independence from Massachusetts. Before admitting women in 1971, Bowdoin was known primarily as a liberal arts college for privileged young men. Bowdoin has been called both a “New Ivy” and a “Hidden Ivy” in recent years due to its impressive track record of academic success. Bowdoin also has a thriving student life, highlighted by the top-ranked dining hall and the popular Outing Club that leads adventure tours of Maine’s rivers, forests, and mountains.

After the Greek organizations at Bowdoin were disbanded in 1997 (they were partly responsible for the school’s notorious drinking culture), the fraternity houses were repurposed as dorms called “College Houses.” Due to the high level of interaction between residents, these houses earned the moniker “living rooms of Bowdoin” and quickly rose to prominence as the most coveted housing on campus and among the best college dorms in the United States. College Houses like Quinby House (the former Kappa Psi Upsilon house) are responsible for organizing college-wide social and cultural events like movie screenings, panel discussions, and art exhibitions. Quinby, a former frat house, is well-known for its diverse and welcoming atmosphere and its cozy fireplaces and chandeliers for up to 24 students.

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr is well-known for its rigorous academic standards, progressive teaching methods, and active student body, earning it recognition as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the United States. Since its inception as a Quaker school in 1885, Bryn Mawr has been a bastion of unwavering feminism that has had a profound impact on the way women are educated and how they view the world politically. Bryn Mawr College, one of the Seven Sisters, has a long-standing relationship with the University of Pennsylvania but has steadfastly opposed coeducation in order to promote the advancement of women in STEM fields and positions of leadership. It’s also become well-known as having some of the best dormitories at any university.

A number of the Bryn Mawr residence halls date back to the 1890s and the turn of the 20th century, including the historic Merion, Pembroke, and Denbigh. The New Dorm, which was built in 2015 and is connected to the Enid Cook Center (also known as the Black Cultural Center), is the first new dorm to be built at Bryn Mawr since 1969. The New Dorm at Bryn Mawr College is home to the Sisterhood (for African-American students), Mujeres (for Latinx students), BACaSO (for African and Caribbean students), and Zami (for LGBTQ students of color), as well as any other students who identify with or support these communities.

Pace University

Pace University, now one of the best universities in the country according to publications like U.S. News and Forbes, was founded in 1906 as a humble accounting school. Luckily, Pace was on the right island (Manhattan) to experience it. The Actors Studio Master of Fine Arts program at Pace University is internationally renowned, and the school’s overall reputation as one of the best business schools in the world has helped bring students to New York City for decades. Pace students have high standards, and the university must meet or exceed them in every way.

It would take some serious connections to find a place to live in Lower Manhattan on par with Pace’s Beekman Hall. Beekman is Pace University’s newest on-campus residence hall, and it provides students with a true New York City experience within the safe and sound confines of an on-campus residence hall. Beekman is the world’s tallest residence hall, standing at 34 stories and providing students with breathtaking views of New York City. There are single, triple, and quad rooms available, all with private bathrooms, making Beekman Hall feel more like an apartment than a dorm. A 24-hour gym and other high-end amenities complete the urban experience.

FAQs

Is it cheaper to live in college dorms or an apartment?

It may come as a surprise, but apartment living is more cost-effective than living in a dorm. This is due to the fact that room and board costs are included in most dormitory semester fees. Utilities, cleaning, and other services are included in these rates.

Are dorms separated by gender?

The gender of the student is considered when choosing their roommate(s). The majority of the time, students are paired up with people of the same gender in dormitories. A student who identifies as female would, for instance, be housed in a dorm with other female students.

Conclusion

The best dorms can be found at both public and private institutions of higher education. And many of them provide instruction in areas that could be of particular interest to you.