Helping parents understand dorm options, safety, accessibility, and what to expect 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.
Waltham, MA
Private research university
5,800 total students
20 dorm buildings reviewed on DormScouter
| Dorm | Overall ★ | Safety ★ | Cleanliness ★ | Reviews | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Year-specific advice for Brandeis University dorms — what changes from freshman to senior year:
Looking for something specific? Browse Brandeis University dorms filtered by amenity: