Housing and Residential Experience

New & incoming students who have not applied to the College should visit the Undergraduate Admissions Application page. There you will be able view the instructions on how to complete Columbia's online application.

Only after you've confirmed your attendance to the college can you complete a housing application. A $500 online space deposit (prepayment) is due at the time of application. The prepayment and application must be submitted in order to secure a housing assignment. Detailed instructions, timelines, deadlines, and process information can be found on the "Apply for Housing" section of this website. Housing assignments will be made by our professional staff with notifications going out as early as June 1, 2023. Students will be notified via email when they have been assigned a room and will need to sign their housing contract to secure their space. Please be sure to regularly check your email account. Housing assignments and other important information will be sent via email. 

Currently confirmed and incoming students seeking on-campus housing can complete the online Housing Application https://www.colum.edu/housingapp beginning April 3, 2023. A $500 space deposit (prepayment) will be required to submit your application for housing. Students will complete housing preferences and behavior/habit questions to assist our staff in the assignment process.

Spring Only Housing - Information will be available in November.

Current students and residents of Columbia College, seeking on-campus housing for the next academic year, will be able to complete their Housing Application beginning March 20, 2023. A $250 space deposit (prepayment) will be required to submit your application for housing. For more information, visit our Contract Renewal FAQ page.

Columbia College Chicago is committed to providing a safe, accepting, and inclusive experience for all students.  The College has a nondiscrimination policy that includes gender identity and/or expression.  This policy extends to student housing.  As such, Housing and Residential Experience is proud to offer Gender-Inclusive Housing (GIH) options. These living options provide an on-campus residence experience that welcomes students across all gender identities and/or expressions, including transgender, questioning or gender non-conforming students. All residential students, regardless of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation have the option of requesting a gender-inclusive room on the housing application. 

The GIH options are available on the 3rd & 4th floor of 30 East Balbo, 15th & 16th floor of the Dwight, 11th floor of the University Center and the 2nd & 3rd floor of the Arc. Please note, the Arc houses students who are 20 years and older. Housing and Residential Experience does not use gender as a criteria in the assignment process. All students assigned to the GIH community will live with others who have requested this living accommodation.

Students may request a roommate through the application process, however, it is a request and cannot be guaranteed. Residence Life encourages students who may require additional GIH accommodations to contact us at 312-369-7803 or via email at residencelife@colum.edu.

GIH requests are accommodated based on availability. All students will know the assigned living community at the time a housing assignment is issued within the Housing Portal. The assigned living community will list as Gender Inclusive Community, Honors Community or Standard Community in the first sentence of your housing contract. Students can request by phone or email to be placed on the GIH waitlist in the event they are not initially assigned to a GIH option. Waitlist requests are only accepted by the Residence Life Office after the student has confirmed their original housing contract assignment. This waitlist will be active during the entire academic year, including the summer months leading to fall move-in. Students on the waitlist will be notified via their MyColumbia email if a space becomes available with an invitation to accept and modify their current assignment and assigned a deadline to respond. Roommate requests may not be accommodated and/or guaranteed if placed on the waitlist. 

*Gender-inclusive housing is not intended for romantic couples. As a general rule, we would strongly advise against doing so.  We respect and honor the privacy of our students, so current procedures do not require students to disclose their reason for roommate requests. However, please note that the Residence Life Office strongly encourages students to reconsider living with a person with whom they are romantically involved, regardless of whether it is a same-sex or different-sex relationship. Some relationships are ready for this step while others are not, and there can be serious challenges for both students should the relationship end.*

Health Center
Columbia’s Health Center, located at 916 S. Wabash Ave. Suite 501, provides clinic-type medical services to students. A physician or nurse practitioner is available to provide outpatient clinical evaluation, treatment of minor illnesses, injuries, and also, evaluation and triage/referral of more serious illnesses or injuries. Health Center Services are very affordable. A semesterly fee, which is included in your tuition and fees, covers the costs of all visits. For more information, please visit the Health Center website.

Counseling Services
The office of Counseling Services, also located at 916 S. Wabash Ave., is committed to helping students reach their highest academic and personal potential. Services include individual, couple, and group therapy for students. Therapists are also available for workshops and presentations on a variety of psychological issues. All currently enrolled students are eligible to receive counseling services. This service provides students with up to ten individual counseling services per academic year. More information is available on the Counseling Services website.

The Honors Community presents an opportunity for students, who are curious & dedicated to learning, and want to further share their passion and interests with those who are academically like-minded, to live with one another. Honors faculty & staff work with residential students in their living environment and provide additional programming opportunities for students in this community.

The Honors Living Community is available in a combination of shared-bedroom and private-bedroom, shared apartment settings on the 12^th & 14^th floor of 30 East Balbo.and the 6th floor of University Center.

Honors housing requests are accommodated based on availability. All students will know their assigned living community at the time a housing assignment is issued within the Housing Portal. The assigned living community will list as Honors Community, Gender Inclusive Community, or Standard Community in the first sentence of your housing contract. Students can request by phone or email to be placed on the Honors Housing waitlist in the event they are not initially assigned to a GIH option.

Waitlist requests are only accepted by the Residence Life Office after the student has confirmed their original housing contract assignment. This waitlist will be active during the entire academic year, including the summer months leading to fall move-in. Students on the waitlist will be notified via their MyColumbia email if a space becomes available with an invitation to accept and modify their current assignment and assigned a deadline to respond. Roommate requests may not be accommodated and/or guaranteed if placed on the waitlist.

Please feel free to contact the Office of the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences with any questions about the Honors Program, or visit the Honors Program. 

When a student receives a housing contract, they also receive a specific deadline to sign and submit the housing contract received. However, some Fall applicants usually do not fully commit to colleges until May and some may have not secured funding at the time their online housing contract is sent to them.

If you are unable to meet your specific housing contract submission deadline, your assigned contract and housing application may be terminated. However, you can submit a new application and request to have the same $500 space deposit (prepayment) applied to it. Submitting a new application will place you at the end of our applicant pool, and you will have to wait for your priority time slot email to select your space.

Please understand Housing and Residentail Experience cannot guarantee room and building availability, nor that you will secure on-campus housing for the academic year. Each following round of housing contract assignments will have fewer options available.

FOR FALL APPLICANTS: If a student submits a Housing Application and their deposit and chooses to not live on campus, they should not sign their housing contract after receiving a housing assignment. The space deposit (prepayment) will be refunded. Once a student receives their housing assignment, they will need to sign their contract to secure their space. Once a contract is signed, it becomes binding for the full academic year. Only students who no longer plan to attend the college may be released from further financial obligations. The space deposit (prepayment) is not refundable. Cancellation requests must be sent to residencelife@colum.edu.

Returning students that secured housing during Contract Renewal are not given this cancellation option.

FOR SPRING APPLICANTS: Once your housing contract assignment has been submitted, the $500 prepayment cannot be refunded. You may be released from any further financial obligations of your housing contract if you no longer plan to attend the college, but you will not receive a refund on your $500 prepayment. You must send a housing contract cancellation request to residencelife@colum.edu. 

For students entering in the Fall, Residence Life offers Academic Year contracts, which allows students to stay on campus from the beginning of the Fall semester to the end of the Spring semester.

For students entering in the Spring, we have Spring Only contracts.

The college does not offer summer housing.

• If you have a student account balance, your $500 prepayment will be applied towards your overall balance.
• If you do not have a student account balance, Columbia Central will issue a refund. Please note that credit card payments are credited back to the credit card.

Located in the Columbia Arts District in the heart of Chicago's South Loop, Columbia College is just steps away from Chicago's museum campus, and a short bus or train ride from hundreds of theater and music venues, independent film festivals, and galleries. View our campus map!

Because there is constant occupancy in all of the Residence Life buildings, getting a tour of the living spaces can be tricky. The Admissions Office offers daily student-led virtual campus tours that include an overview of residence life facilities. These tours are also included in the virtual Open House weekend in November. Visit the Admissions virtual events page for more information on all of their events.

UNIVERSITY CENTER - University Center Resident Portal

DWIGHT - Dwight Resident Portal

THE ARC - Arc Resident Portal

30 EAST - 30 East Resident Portal

Meal plans can either be mandatory or optional, depending on the type of space a student has been assigned to. Each plan includes a certain amount of meals and Flex dollars. Meals are on a fixed price, all you care to eat basis. Flex money can be used in the retail store within the dining center, where you will find snacks, smoothies, bottled pop and juices, coffee, packaged salads, frozen food, toiletries, and more to-go items.

Residents assigned to Traditional-Style Semi-Suites in the University Center are provided with MANDATORY meal plans, as these units do not include kitchens. This is about $2,277 per semester, included cost of the room. The meal plan offers 15 meals per week during the Fall and Spring semesters. It also includes $750 in Flex dollars ($375 per semester) to spend at the student’s discretion within the dining facility during the regular academic year.

Residents assigned to apartments may select an optional meal plan. 
• For Fall students in apartments, we have the 150 Meal Plan for $2,346. The plan includes 150 meals for the academic year (Fall and Spring semesters), plus $400 in Flex dollars to spend at the student's discretion within the dining facility retail store.
• For Spring students in apartments, we have the 75 Meal Plan for $1,173. This includes 75 meals for the Spring semester, plus $200 in Flex dollars to spend at the student's discretion within the dining facility retail store.

Please understand these optional plans are strictly supplementary and allow students to have about 3 - 4 meals per week. Students in apartment units cook for themselves and use the this meal plan on occasion; perhaps only for lunch or dinner during the weekdays, in between classes. If you have been assigned to an apartment, you will have the opportunity to select the meal plan when completing your online housing contract. Flex dollars roll over to the next semester.

DINING CENTER HOURS OF OPERATION

However, apartment units do have full kitchens that include a refrigerator and oven. We expect residents without meal plans to cook for themselves, and roommates often share cooking duties. Two major grocery stores are within walking distance of our residence halls, or students may order groceries on-line through a commercial provider (such as Amazon Prime Pantry). Meal preparation is an important part of the independent living experience available to our students.

FALL students who have completed a housing application will be able to pick a move-in time slot beginning June 1, 2023.

SPRING students will be notified of move-in starting January.

• Move-in date and time
• Apartment/Room number
• Roommate name(s), contact information and personal profile

Move-Out for SPRING 2023 students 

Students currently living on campus this academic year must be moved out by 12pm on May 14, 2023. 

Students DO NOT need to sign up for an Express Check-Out time on the Housing Portal.

For move-out this spring, students will be singing up with their RA for a check-out time. Students will learn all about the move-out process at a floor meeting hosted by their RA between now and April 30. Students will sign up for a mutually agreeable check-out time between them and their RA.

At this checkout appointment, the RA will meet the student at their room. The RA will collect keys from the student and make sure the space is left in suitable move-out condition. Property Managers will have the final say on any charges in the space, but the RA is there to help support the student and point out any potential charges they may incur. Students will have a checklist posted to their apartment doors with all the steps they need to take for a proper check out.

• Extra Space Storage 615 S. Wabash - 877-825-8186
• Public Storage 947 W. Van Buren - 312-429-6964
• East Bank Storage 730 W. Lake - 312-876-2000
• Extra Space Storage 1255 S. Wabash - 312-986-8400

Columbia College Residence Life consists of 4 buildings:

• 30 East Balbo
• The University Center
• The Dwight
• The Arc

Students are assigned to these residence halls based on the preferences listed in their application and what is available at that time. Applicants cannot choose a building, so please familiarize yourself with all our accommodations.

Housing costs are billed by semester and will be included on your student bill in CCCPay. You will not receive a separate bill for housing.

To learn more about payment plan options and financial aid, please visit Columbia Central - https://www.colum.edu/columbia-central/index

If you have charges that are not covered by secured financial aid, you must make arrangements to pay your remaining balance in full or establish a payment plan by the payment deadline for the semester. Columbia’s payment deadlines are August 1 for the Fall semester, December 28 for the Spring semester, and May 13 for the Summer term.

GradGuard

Columbia College Chicago has partnered with GradGuard, which offers an exclusive Renters Insurance plan that is specifically designed for college students. Columbia College Chicago students are eligible to participate in this program containing features you cannot access with other companies.

Resident Assistants (RAs) are Undergraduate and Graduate students who have been selected and trained to provide a variety of services to residents. RAs answer questions about Residence Life and refer students to appropriate campus offices when they need help or services. RAs provide advice to students on personal and academic problems and mediate roommate conflicts. RAs are responsible for building community in Residence Life, enforcing the rules in the Housing & Residential Experience Handbook and other College rules.

Although you will probably interact most often with the RA on your floor, please be aware that any staff member may assist you if you need help. Also, be aware that RAs have responsibility and authority anywhere in the residential areas regardless of their assigned floors. We expect you to cooperate with any staff member who is carrying out his or her duties, which includes presenting proper identification upon request.

Columbia College Resident Assistants live in each of the Housing & Residential Experience buildings, except for The University Center. The University Center is under different management than the rest of Columbia College Chicago Housing & Residential Experience, and as a result, they have separate Resident Assistants.

Fall applicants: we will begin releasing housing assignments on June 1, 2023 for students who have completed their housing application.

Spring applicants: can expect a housing contract assignment as early as January.

Housing is assigned to confirmed students on a first-come, first-served basis according to when the housing application is submitted. Although the college will try to accommodate your housing requests, we cannot guarantee housing preferences or roommate requests.

Current returning students of Columbia College have the opportunity to secure their room assignments prior to new and incoming residents. For this reason, it is a strong possibility that new freshman and transfer students will not be assigned their first housing preference in their first year.

Rooms and buildings are based on availability. Although we try to accommodate room and roommate requests, they are not guaranteed. After selecting a room, you will receive your Housing Contract Agreement. Rooms will not be reserved or finalized until the housing contract agreement is signed. Students will be given a deadline to sign their housing contract.  

Each University Center semi-suite comes with:

• 1 desk & desk chair, per student
• 1 closet organizer, per student
• 1 bed with twin extra-long mattress (80" x 36"), per student
  *Please note: students living in a Private Room Semi-Suite have a double bed
• Book Shelf
• Suite Style bathroom, shared with suite mates

Each apartment comes with:

• 1 desk & desk chair, per student
  *Please note: 30 East Balbo provides 1 desk & desk chair per bedroom
• 1 bed with twin extra-long mattress (80" x 36"), per student
  *Please Note: certain designated private bedrooms in The Dwight have full-size beds. If you do have a full bed, the room-type in your assigned contract will state "Single Rm Full".
• 1 closet w/ shelf and clothing rack, per student
• 1 dresser, per student
• Sofa and coffee table
• Dining room table w/ chairs or kitchen island w/ stools (Dwight and 30 East only)
• Kitchen w/ stove, oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher (no dishwasher in The Dwight)
• Bathroom(s)
• Central air and heat
• Microwaves are included in all apartments.
• Flat Screen TVs are available in the living rooms of The Dwight, 30 East Balbo, and The Arc

Approximately two thirds of our housing spaces are apartment-style, and the remaining one third of spaces are traditional semi-suite units with mandatory meal plans. 

Your room type preferences and roommate requests are taken into consideration at the time a housing contract is issued. 

Housing contracts are issued by room-type preferences, and NOT specific buildings.

Room Types

Below are NINE different living options within Columbia College Chicago residence halls. 

These spaces are located in 30 East, The Dwight, and The Arc:

Small double occupancy bedroom in a shared apartment ($11,506 annual / $5,753 semester)

* This consists of a two-person bedroom in a 1 to 3 bedroom apartment. The apartment, depending on the number of bedrooms, may house 2 to 6 students and will include one or more bathrooms, a living/dining area, and full kitchen.

* Meal plan is not required. If interested in a meal plan, please refer to the Optional 150 section below.

Regular double occupancy bedroom in a shared apartment ($12,122 annual / $6,061 semester)

* This consists of a two-person bedroom in a 1 to 3 bedroom apartment. The apartment, depending on the number of bedrooms, may house 2 to 6 students and will include one or more bathrooms, a living/dining area, and full kitchen.

* Meal plan is not required. If interested in a meal plan, please refer to the Optional 150 section below.

Single occupancy bedroom in a shared apartment ($15,780 annual / $7,890 semester)

* This consists of a one-person bedroom in a 4 to 5 bedroom apartment. The apartment, depending on the number of bedrooms, will house 4 to 5 students.

* Meal plan is not required. If interested in a meal plan, please refer to the Optional 150 section below.

Single occupancy bedroom, full sized bed, shared apartment ($16,073 annual / $8,037 semester)

* This consists of a one-person bedroom in a 4 to 5 bedroom apartment with a full sized bed. The Dwight & The Arc. The apartment, depending on the number of bedrooms, will house 4 to 5 students.

* Meal plan is not required. If interested in a meal plan, please refer to the Optional 150 section below.

Single occupancy studio apartment (not shared) ($17,536 annual / $9,032 semester)

* This consists of a one-person studio. The apartment, depending on the number of bedrooms, will house 1 student.

* Meal plan is not required. If interested in a meal plan, please refer to the Optional 150 section below.

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These spaces are located in the University Center ONLY:

Double occupancy Quad in a semi-suite ($10,696 annual / $5,348 semester)

* This consists of a traditional two-person room at the University Center residence hall. Students share a bathroom with 1 to 3 other students. A 15-meal per week plan is mandatory and included in the cost of the room. In addition to the meal plan, students have access to a kitchenette and community lounge on each floor.

* Meal plan is required add ($4,801.27 annual / $2,400.63 semester)

Double occupancy Double in a semi-suite($12,146 annual / $6,073 semester)

* This consists of a traditional two-person room at the University Center residence hall. Students share a bathroom with 1 to 3 other students. A 15-meal per week plan is mandatory and included in the cost of the room. In addition to the meal plan, students have access to a kitchenette and community lounge on each floor.

* Mandatory Meal plan is required ($4,801.27 annual / $2,400.63 semester)

Single occupancy bedroom in a shared apartment ($15,780 annual / $7,890 semester)

* This consists of a one-person bedroom in a 4 to 5 bedroom apartment. Residence Halls that include this room type are: 30 East Balbo, University Center, The Dwight & The Arc. The apartment, depending on the number of bedrooms, will house 4 to 5 students.

* Mandatory Meal Plan is not required. If you are requesting a meal plan, please view the Optional 150 section below

Single occupancy bedroom in a semi-suite ($15,630 annual / $7,815 semester)

* This consists of a traditional two-person room at the University Center residence hall. Students share a bathroom with 1 to 3 other students. A 15-meal per week plan is mandatory and included in the cost of the room. In addition to the meal plan, students have access to a kitchenette and community lounge on each floor.

* Mandatory Meal plan is required ($4,801.27 annual / $2,400.63 semester)

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Optional 150 Meal Plan

* We offer residents who are living in apartment style housing the optional 150 meal plan. The optional 150 Meal Plan (150 meals for the entirety of the academic year) ($2,346 annual) – NON-REFUNDABLE

Traditional Shared Semi-Suite w/ Meal Plan — consists of a traditional two-person room at the University Center residence hall. Students share a bathroom with 1 to 3 other students. A 15-meal per week plan is mandatory and included in the cost of the room. In addition to the meal plan, students have access to a kitchenette and community lounge on each floor.
Average semester costs: $8,400.

Shared Bedroom in a Shared Apartment — consists of a two-person bedroom in a 1 to 3 bedroom apartment. Residence Halls that include this room type are: 30 East Balbo, The Dwight & The Arc. The apartment, depending on the number of bedrooms, may house 2 to 6 students and will include one or more bathrooms, a living/dining area, and full kitchen.
Average semester costs: $6,000.

Private Bedroom in a Shared Apartment — consists of a one-person bedroom in a 4 to 5 bedroom apartment. Residence Halls that include this room type are: 30 East Balbo, University Center, The Dwight & The Arc. The apartment, depending on the number of bedrooms, will house 4 to 5 students.
Average semester costs: $7,900.

For specific prices per room, please refer to the Residence Hall Rates.
You will see prices for private studio apartments and private semi-suites, but they are not an option on the application. There are less than 1% of these spaces on campus, and they are usually all secured by returning residents/students during our annual Contract Campaign.

For financial planning purposes, it is strongly recommended to contact Columbia Central.

Our professional staff will make roommate assignments following the submissiong of your Housing Application. As part of the Housing Application, students will include their preferences for living environments and answer questions about lifestyle, sleeping, and study habits. This information will guide our staff in making assignments.

Can I request a roommate? While most of our students do not have an identified student they wish to room with, there are some cases where students know they would like to live with each other. We will accept mutual requests (each student must request the other) up until April 30, 2023. To make a request, each student will need to submit an email to housing@colum.edu naming the other individual. We will make all attempts to honor mutual requests.

For Fall students, room and roommate assignments will be available starting in June. 

Community Living is different than living at home. While we make all efforts to match students on compatible factors, this process is never perfect. You do not need to be best friends with your roommate; you just need to learn how to live with another person. Our Resident Assistant staff will assist students in completing a roommate agreement within the first few weeks of the semester. This will be a great document to re-visit throughout the year if/when conflict or challenges arise. Communication (or lack of it) is often the number one reason challenges between roommates arise.

The first step to resolving conflict is to encourage your student to have a conversation their roommate. If your student can also seek assistance from their RA (Resident Assistant). Please note that the RA will first mediate this conflict to ensure that all parties’ voices are heard, and a resolution is made to move the relationship forward. In the event that additional assistance is required, GAs (Graduate Assistants) and professional staff are available to assist in mediation and resolution.

In rare circumstances it may be in the best interest of those affected that an individual is moved to a new space on campus. Given space availability, this is not a first step toward resolution.

Within the housing application, you are able to specify if you require a reasonable accommodation for housing needs due to an ADA recognized disability. If you require special room accommodations, please contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office. 

These disabilities may include (but are not limited to):

• Learning Disabilities
• Communication Disorders
• Psychological Disabilities
• Hearing Impairments
• Visual Impairments
• Other Health or Physical Impairments
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder

Columbia College Chicago is not able to offer summer housing. While some students may be enrolled for summer session, the College's lease agreements with residential properties only includes the fall and spring semesters.

Individual properties do facilitate short-term leasing options during the summer months, unaffiliated with Columbia College Chicago. For more information, please contact:

University Center
525 S. State St.
(312) 924-8000 
https://universitycenter.com/

30 East Apartments
30 East Balbo Dr.
(331) 301-2229
https://www.30eastapts.com/

Dwight Lofts
642 S. Clark St.
(312) 588-1234
https://www.sterlinghousing.com/chicago-il/dwight-lofts

The Arc
37 W. Van Buren St.
(312) 283-3331
https://www.arcatoldcolony.com/

Temporary housing allows Residence Life to maximize its use of housing spaces to place as many students into housing at the beginning of the year. Since the demand for housing usually exceeds the amount of spaces available, Columbia College Chicago has identified different spaces on campus to accommodate more students in need of housing. Students who are assigned temporary housing are those with the latest application date.

We recognize that your on-campus home plays an integral part of your Columbia College Chicago experience. To the best of our ability, we are committed to ensuring your residential experience is a fulfilling and postive one. It is possible that you realize your original housing assignment is not the experience you were hoping for, or perhaps you have found an interest in moving elsewhere for a variety of reasons.

Beginning August 1, 2023: the Housing & Residential Expereince Office will open waitlists for each residence hall, themed communities (i.e., FYE, SYE, Gender Inclusive Housing, or Honors), and single rooms. Students can add their name to ONE waitlist at a time. Pending space availability, students will be contacted from the waitlist in the order in which they were added.

There is no garauntee that students on any waitlist will have their request honored.