Helping parents understand dorm options, safety, accessibility, and what to expect at Cornell University.
Cornell requires all first-year students to live on campus. Upperclassmen may live on or off campus, though a wide variety of on-campus options remain available.
First-Year Housing: Freshmen are assigned to dormitories based on student preferences submitted through an online form. Several residential areas are available for new students.
Residential College System: Cornell offers residential colleges available to both first-year and upperclass students. Each residential college has its own community programming. Application to residential colleges is separate from general housing.
Room Selection: Upperclass students select rooms through a lottery-based process each spring. Both on-campus and off-campus housing are options for juniors and seniors.
Ithaca, NY
Private Research University
25,000 total students
49 dorm buildings reviewed on DormScouter
| Dorm | Overall ★ | Safety ★ | Cleanliness ★ | Reviews | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hu Shih Hall | ★5.0 | — | ★4.0 | 2 | ♿ ADA 🛗 Elevator 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| Balch Hall | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Clara Dickson Hall | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Court-Kay-Bauer Hall | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Toni Morrison Hall | — | — | — | 0 | 🍽️ Dining Hall |
| Barbara McClintock Hall | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Mary Donlon Hall | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Jameson Hall | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Risley Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | 🛗 Elevator 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ Welcoming 🍽️ Dining Hall 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| Hans Bethe House | — | — | — | 0 | 🍽️ Dining Hall |
| Alice Cook House | — | — | — | 0 | 🍽️ Dining Hall |
| Carl Becker House | — | — | — | 0 | 🍽️ Dining Hall |
| William Keeton House | — | — | — | 0 | 🍽️ Dining Hall |
| Flora Rose House | — | — | — | 0 | 🍽️ Dining Hall |
| Cascadilla Hall | — | — | — | 0 | 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| Sheldon Court | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Schuyler House | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Mews Hall | — | — | — | 0 | 🛗 Elevator 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ Welcoming 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| Low Rise #6 | — | — | — | 0 | 🛗 Elevator 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| Low Rise #7 | — | — | — | 0 | 🛗 Elevator 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| High Rise #5 | — | — | — | 0 | 🛗 Elevator |
| North Campus Townhouses | — | — | — | 0 | 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| Ujamaa Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Akwe:kon | — | — | — | 0 | 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ Welcoming 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| Just About Music House (JAM) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| 64 Ridgewood Road | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Ecology House | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Latino Living Center | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Wari House | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Alpha Delta Phi | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Alpha Epsilon Pi | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Alpha Sigma Phi | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Beta Theta Pi | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Chi Phi | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Delta Chi | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Kappa Alpha Theta | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Kappa Kappa Gamma | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Alpha Phi | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Sigma Phi | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Zeta Beta Tau | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Phi Kappa Psi | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Ganędagǫ Hall | — | — | — | 0 | 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| Hasbrouck Apartments | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Maplewood Park Apartments | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Delta Upsilon | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Delta Phi (Llenroc) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Telluride House (217 West Avenue) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Watermargin Co-Op | — | — | — | 0 |
Year-specific advice for Cornell University dorms — what changes from freshman to senior year:
Looking for something specific? Browse Cornell University dorms filtered by amenity: