🏠 Brandeis University — Parent Guide

Helping parents understand dorm options, safety, accessibility, and what to expect at Brandeis University.

💡 Tips for parents reviewing dorm options:

🏠 How housing selection works at Brandeis University

Three-year residency requirement.First-, second-, and third-year undergraduates at Brandeis are required to live in Brandeis-managed housing. Most seniors also remain on campus through the lottery.

First-year placement.Incoming students are housed in (Deroy, Renfield, Shapiro, Usen) or (Cable, Reitman, Pomerantz, Scheffres). Both clusters are corridor-style with communal bathrooms and shared lounges. Roommates and are determined by a summer matching survey.

Sophomore selection.Returning sophomores enter a class-priority lottery. Common landings include and Usen Castle. Honors and themed-community participants are placed together.

Junior & senior options.Upper-class students typically choose apartment-style housing — (4-person suites), (newer apartments with full kitchens), Charles River Apartments (senior-only), or the Foster Mods.

Greek life.Brandeis officially does not recognize fraternities or sororities. A handful of unofficial chapters exist but none have on-campus housing.

As of May 8, 2026

📍 Location

Waltham, MA

🏛️ College Type

Private research university

👥 Enrollment

5,800 total students

🏠 Housing

20 dorm buildings reviewed on DormScouter

📊 Dorm Comparison by Safety & Cleanliness

DormOverall ★Safety ★Cleanliness ★ReviewsFeatures
Deroy Hall 0
Renfield Hall 0
Shapiro Hall 0
Usen Hall 0
Cable Hall 0
Reitman Hall 0
Pomerantz Hall 0
Scheffres Hall 0
Rosenthal Quad 0
Ziv Quad 0
Ridgewood Quad 0
Charles River Apartments 0
Foster Mods 0
Usen Castle 0
Massell Hall 0
Village Residences 0
Ziv Residential Quad 0
Hassenfeld Residential Village 0
Chapels Residential Area 0
Graduate Student Housing 0

🔗 More Resources

🔗 Department of Community Living

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🔗 Housing Selection

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🔗 Brandeis Main Site

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🔗 Brandeis Admissions

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🔗 Brandeis Athletics

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🎓 Class-Year Housing Guides

Year-specific advice for Brandeis University dorms — what changes from freshman to senior year:

🎓 Freshman Guide📚 Sophomore Guide📖 Junior Guide🎉 Senior Guide

🔍 Filter by Amenity

Looking for something specific? Browse Brandeis University dorms filtered by amenity:

❄️ with Air Conditioning🍳 with Shared Kitchen🛗 with Elevator♿ ADA-Accessible🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ Friendly🚿 with Private Bathrooms🛁 with Semi-Private Bathrooms🧼 with Communal Bathrooms♀ All-Female