The purpose of on-campus housing is to provide students with a safe, affordable, and low-stress place to live while pursuing their educational goals. For some students this means little more than a place to lay their heads when sleep forces them to interrupt their busy academic and social schedules. For other students, on-campus housing is a home away from home where lifelong friendships form and the transition from family life to independence can happen at a more measured pace.

Residence Halls
Most first-year students at Iowa choose to live in one of the 10 residence halls. The halls have plenty of new students—as well as sophomores, juniors, and seniors. More than half of the residents of each hall are first-year students. For more about the benefits of living in the residence halls, see:

Why Live in the Residence Halls?
From the director: What you would have heard at a 2-day orientation

With 10 halls and more than 5,000 residents, there are lots of options in terms of facilities, environments, and activities. The easiest way to get a sense of the opportunities is to explore our pages devoted to each of the halls.

Residence Halls - Main Page

Meal Plans & Menus
Living-Learning Communities
Costs/Room & Board
How to Apply

Living-Learning Communities
Living-Learning Communities are a very popular housing option. They provide a supportive and engaging environment where students are challenged intellectually, and they offer the advantage of bonding with other students who have similar academic goals.

Living-Learning Communities

Coming to Campus
After you've applied to the University, been admitted, and received your room assignment, you'll need to get ready to move in. Your first weeks at Iowa are going to be filled with lots of new people, new information, and important decisions, and your new living space is only part of the equation. The following pages have been created to help you plan for your move so that moving in can be a snap, leaving more time and energy for more pressing matters those first few weeks.

What to Bring
Getting Settled
Getting Involved

Graduate, Professional, and Family Housing
The University provides a limited amount of on-campus housing for graduate and professional students, as well as students with families.

Graduate and Professional Student Housing
Housing for Families