🏠 Cornell University — Parent Guide

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

💡 Tips for parents reviewing dorm options:

🏠 How housing selection works 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.

As of May 8, 2026

📍 Location

Ithaca, NY

🏛️ College Type

Private Research University

👥 Enrollment

25,000 total students

🏠 Housing

49 dorm buildings reviewed on DormScouter

📊 Dorm Comparison by Safety & Cleanliness

DormOverall ★Safety ★Cleanliness ★ReviewsFeatures
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

🔗 More Resources

🔗 🎬 A Tour of Cornell Housing

Open link ↗

🔗 📋 How to Apply for First-Year Housing (Video)

Open link ↗

🔗 📺 Cornell Housing YouTube Channel

Open link ↗

🎓 Class-Year Housing Guides

Year-specific advice for Cornell 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 Cornell 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