Freshman year at Amherst College — which dorms are open, what to look for, and how to pick well.
These 1 dorm is reserved exclusively for first-year students.
| Dorm | Overall ★ | Style | Bath | Reviews | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Hall | ★4.0 | Corridor | Communal | 1 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
39 dorms are open to first-years plus other class years. Sorted by student rating.
| Dorm | Overall ★ | Style | Bath | Reviews | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morris Pratt Hall | ★5.0 | Corridor | Communal | 1 | 🛗 Elevator |
| Nicklas Hall | ★5.0 | Corridor | Communal | 1 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Charles Pratt Hall | ★4.0 | — | Communal | 1 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| 55 South Pleasant St | — | Apartment | Private | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Appleton Hall | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🛗 Elevator |
| Asian Culture House | — | Special Interest | — | 0 | |
| Chapman Hall | — | — | — | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Charles Drew House | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Crossett Hall | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | |
| Ford Hall | — | — | Communal | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Garman House | — | Pod | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| German House | — | Special Interest | — | 0 | |
| Hastings Building | — | Apartment | Private | 0 | |
| Hitchcock House | — | Pod | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Humphries House | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Jenkins House | — | — | — | 0 | |
| La Casa / Spanish House | — | Special Interest | — | 0 | |
| La Maison Française | — | Special Interest | — | 0 | |
| Lee Hall | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Leland House | — | — | — | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Lipton House | — | Pod | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Marsh House | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Mayo-Smith House | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Mead Hall | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Moore Hall | — | — | — | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ |
| Morrow Hall | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Newport House | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Nicholls Biondi Hall | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| North Hall | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🛗 Elevator |
| Plimpton House | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Porter House | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🛗 Elevator |
| Residence Hall A | — | Suite | — | 0 | |
| Russian House | — | Special Interest | — | 0 | |
| Seelye House | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Seligman House | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| South Hall | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🛗 Elevator |
| Stearns Hall | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Taplin House | — | Special Interest | — | 0 | |
| Williston Hall | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🛗 Elevator |
Amherst College freshmen are housed across the dorms listed below. Some schools centralize first-years on a specific quad or campus zone; others mix freshmen into all halls. The dorms section on this page reflects current inventory open to first-years — sort by review count to see where current students are reviewing the most.
Corridor-style halls (a long hallway with rooms opening off it, shared bathrooms) tend to drive more cross-room socializing — often the best fit for first-years who don't know anyone yet. Suite-style is quieter and more private but you may end up only knowing your suitemates.
It varies by building. Use the "❄️ Has AC" amenity filter linked at the bottom of this page to see only AC-equipped dorms at Amherst College.
Most colleges discourage singles for first-years (the social benefit of a roommate matters more in year one than in year four). Some schools allow medical singles or honors-program singles. Check your college's housing portal for current first-year single availability.
Browse Amherst College dorms filtered by amenity: