🏠 Colgate University — Parent Guide

🏠 How housing selection works at Colgate University

Colgate University requires all students to live on campus for all four years, and guarantees on-campus housing to every enrolled student. With approximately 3,000 undergraduates and a fully in Hamilton, New York, the is central to student life at Colgate.

First-Year Students:All incoming freshmen are assigned to residence halls by the Office of before the start of the academic year. First-years complete a housing application and lifestyle questionnaire covering sleep schedules, study habits, and noise preferences. Roommates are matched based on compatibility. Most first-year students are housed in the on-campus housing halls, which are staffed by and designed to build community during the transition to college. Room assignments are communicated in the summer before the first year begins.

Returning Students — Housing Selection:Upperclassmen participate in Colgate's annual housing selection process each spring. Selection priority is typically determined by a combination of class year and lottery number. Students may participate as individuals or as a group. Available housing options span a range of styles across the hilltop campus:

• Traditional residence halls(Andrews, Brown Memorial, Drake, Freeman, West, East, Cutten) — corridor-style buildings, many with shared bathrooms; community-focused living for first- and second-year students
• Suite-style housing— with semi-private bathrooms; typically available to upperclassmen
• Townhouses and apartments— more independent living arrangements with shared or private kitchens; typically reserved for juniors and seniors
• Special theme housing— Colgate offers living-learning communities and themed ; students apply separately for these in conjunction with the housing lottery

Room Types:Colgate offers single rooms, double rooms, and triple rooms across its residence halls. apartment configurations provide greater independence for upperclassmen. The older corridor-style halls have communal bathrooms; newer and renovated buildings feature semi-private or private bathroom arrangements. Most older buildings in upstate New York do not have central air conditioning — the climate in Hamilton typically requires it only during the first weeks of the fall semester and last weeks of the spring semester. Newer buildings and apartment-style housing may have AC units.

Four- Commitment:Colgate's four-year residency requirement reflects its commitment to a fully engaged . All students — freshmen through seniors — live on campus, creating a cohesive, close-knit living and learning environment on the hilltop campus.

Key dates(approximate — verify each year at colgate.edu):

• February–March: housing selection application opens for returning students; lottery numbers assigned
• March–April: housing selection windows open by class year
• April–May: first-year housing application and roommate questionnaire open for incoming students
• July: first-year room assignments sent; roommate contact information shared

For current deadlines, room availability, rates, and step-by-step housing selection instructions, visit theLife page.