🏠 Northwestern University — Parent Guide

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

💡 Tips for parents reviewing dorm options:

🏠 How housing selection works 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.

As of May 8, 2026

📍 Location

Evanston, IL

🏛️ College Type

Private Research University

👥 Enrollment

21,000 total students

🏠 Housing

21 dorm buildings reviewed on DormScouter

📊 Dorm Comparison by Safety & Cleanliness

DormOverall ★Safety ★Cleanliness ★ReviewsFeatures
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
Slivka Residential College 0
Willard Residential College 0
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

🔗 More Resources

🔗 Northwestern Residential Services

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🔗 Undergraduate Housing

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🔗 Room Selection

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🔗 Residential Colleges

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🎓 Class-Year Housing Guides

Year-specific advice for Northwestern 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 Northwestern 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