Helping parents understand dorm options, safety, accessibility, and what to expect at Northwestern University.
Northwestern University requires first- and second-year students to live on campus. Juniors and seniors may live off-campus but abundant on-campus housing options remain available.
First-Year Housing: Incoming students are assigned to residence halls by the Housing Office. Housing assignments consider student preferences and community building.
Housing Selection: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors participate in an on-campus housing selection lottery each spring. Both traditional residence halls and residential colleges are available.
Residential Options: Northwestern offers diverse residential options including themed communities, residential colleges, and special-interest housing.
Evanston, IL
Private Research University
21,000 total students
20 dorm buildings reviewed on DormScouter
| Dorm | Overall ★ | Safety ★ | Cleanliness ★ | Reviews | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elder Hall | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Slivka Residential College of Science and Engineering | — | — | — | 0 | |
| 560 Lincoln (Graduate/Upperclass Housing) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Ayers Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Chapin Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | |
| CCS Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | |
| CRC Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | |
| ISRC Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Jones Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | |
| PARC Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Shepard Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Willard Residential College | — | — | — | 0 | 🛗 Elevator 🍳 Shared Kitchen |
| Hobart House | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Alpha Chi Omega House (ΑΧΩ) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Alpha Phi House (ΑΦ) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Chi Omega House (ΧΩ) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Delta Delta Delta House (ΔΔΔ) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Delta Gamma House (ΔΓ) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Kappa Alpha Theta House (ΚΑΘ) | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Kappa Delta House (ΚΔ) | — | — | — | 0 |
Year-specific advice for Northwestern University dorms — what changes from freshman to senior year:
Looking for something specific? Browse Northwestern University dorms filtered by amenity: