Sophomore year at Northwestern University — which dorms are open, what to look for, and how to pick well.
21 dorms are open to sophomores plus other class years. Sorted by student rating.
| Dorm | Overall ★ | Style | Bath | Reviews | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 560 Lincoln (Graduate/Upperclass Housing) | — | Apartment | Private | 0 | |
| Alpha Chi Omega House (ΑΧΩ) | — | House | Communal | 0 | |
| Alpha Phi House (ΑΦ) | — | House | Communal | 0 | |
| Ayers Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| CCS Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| CRC Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| Chapin Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| Chi Omega House (ΧΩ) | — | House | Communal | 0 | |
| Delta Delta Delta House (ΔΔΔ) | — | House | Communal | 0 | |
| Delta Gamma House (ΔΓ) | — | House | Communal | 0 | |
| Elder Hall | — | Corridor | Communal | 0 | |
| Hobart House | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| ISRC Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| Jones Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| Kappa Alpha Theta House (ΚΑΘ) | — | House | Communal | 0 | |
| Kappa Delta House (ΚΔ) | — | House | Communal | 0 | |
| PARC Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| Shepard Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| Slivka Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 0 | |
| Slivka Residential College of Science and Engineering | — | Suite | Semi-Private | 0 | |
| Willard Residential College | — | Special Interest | Communal | 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 Northwestern 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 Northwestern University dorms filtered by amenity: