Sophomore year at Cornell University — which dorms are open, what to look for, and how to pick well.
58 dorms are open to sophomores plus other class years. Sorted by student rating.
| Dorm | Overall ★ | Style | Bath | Reviews | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risley Residential College | ★4.0 | Corridor | Communal | 1 | 🍳 Kitchen 🍽️ Dining 🛗 Elevator 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ |
| 109 McGraw | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | |
| 112 Edgemoor | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Alice Cook House | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🍽️ Dining |
| Alpha Delta Phi | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Alpha Epsilon Pi | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Alpha Phi | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Alpha Sigma Phi | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Baker Tower | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Balch Hall | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Barbara McClintock Hall | — | Pod | Semi-Private | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Beta Theta Pi | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Bethe-McFaddin | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Bethe-North | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Bethe-South | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Boldt Hall | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Boldt Tower | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Carl Becker House | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen 🍽️ Dining |
| Cascadilla Hall | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Chi Phi | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Clara Dickson Hall | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Cook-Main | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Court-Kay-Bauer Hall | — | Pod | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Delta Chi | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Delta Phi (Llenroc) | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Delta Upsilon | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Ecology House | — | — | Communal | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen |
| Equity & Engagement Community (EEC) | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| Flora Rose House | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🍽️ Dining |
| Founders Hall | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Ganędagǫ Hall | — | Pod | Semi-Private | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen |
| Hans Bethe House | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🍽️ Dining |
| High Rise #5 | — | Pod | Semi-Private | 0 | 🛗 Elevator |
| Jameson Hall | — | Pod | Semi-Private | 0 | 🛗 Elevator |
| Just About Music House (JAM) | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Kappa Alpha Theta | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Kappa Kappa Gamma | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Latino Living Center | — | — | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Low Rise #6 | — | Pod | Semi-Private | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Low Rise #7 | — | Pod | Semi-Private | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Lyon Hall | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Mary Donlon Hall | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🛗 Elevator |
| Mennen Hall | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| North Baker | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| North Campus Townhouses | — | Apartment | Private | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍳 Kitchen |
| Phi Kappa Psi | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Rose Main | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Sheldon Court | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen |
| Sigma Phi | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| South Baker Hall | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Telluride House (217 West Avenue) | — | House | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Toni Morrison Hall | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | ❄️ AC 🍽️ Dining |
| Ujamaa Residential College | — | Pod | Pod | 0 | |
| Veterans House | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | ❄️ AC |
| Wari House | — | House | Communal | 0 | |
| Watermargin Co-Op | — | House | Communal | 0 | |
| William Keeton House | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | 🍳 Kitchen 🍽️ Dining 🛗 Elevator |
| Zeta Beta Tau | — | — | Semi-Private | 0 |
Sophomores typically lose access to first-year-only halls and pick from a wider pool — but with a lottery system that depends on randomized draw numbers. Pull-in groups (you + your future roommate(s)) get one shared draw number, so a strong roommate's number can lift you both.
Each college runs the lottery slightly differently. Generally: every rising sophomore gets a random number, groups can pull in one another, and rooms fill in number order. Check your housing portal for the exact rules at Cornell University.
Most schools require sophomores to live on campus. If yours allows off-campus, it's usually cheaper but you lose the dining hall + housing-staff support. Sophomore year is often the wrong year to leave — most off-campus moves work better as a junior.
Look at the dorm table below: filter to dorms with 3+ reviews and a ★4+ average. The ones nobody talks about — but real students rated highly — are your sleeper picks.
Browse Cornell University dorms filtered by amenity:
