New Students

Welcome to Columbia College Chicago! We are thrilled that you are joining our student community and are considering the endless possibilities of living on campus.

First-Time Freshman and New Transfers: 2026-2027 Housing Applications 

• The 2026-2027 Housing Application will be launching in the MCR housing portal for new students April 8, 2026 at 11am. 
• Freshman will apply via the application titled: 2026-2027 First Year Housing Application and Transfer/Exchange students will apply via the application titled: 2026-2027 Academic Year Housing Application

Timeline:

April 8, 2026 at 11am: New students who have confirmed their enrollment status may begin submitting their 2026-2027 housing application on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 11am CST. You must complete your Primary and Secondary Application by April 28 at 12pm to gain access to the Room Selection portion of the process. We encourage you to complete both applications expeditiously to receive an earlier Room Selection Access Time (see below). Parts of this application process for First-Time Freshman will be referred to as FYE or First Year Experience.

Please Note: Access to housing is available 2-3 business days after you submit our enrollment deposit. Please visit Columbia Connect for more information: https://apply.colum.edu/apply/status 

April 29, 2026: Room Selection for the FYE Gender Inclusive Housing (GIH) living community and new Transfer/Exchange students seeking GIH, will begin at 10am CST on April 29. Students may select a space in MCR during their assigned Room Selection Access Time, which is determined by the order their completed Secondary Application was submitted. Please understand floors are already designated for FYE GIH and FYE General, so students are not attempting to select overlapping spaces at different room selection timeframes.

May 5, 2026:Room Selection for FYE General housing and new Transfer/Exchange students seeking General housing will begin at 10am CST on May 5. Students may select a space in MCR during their assigned Room Selection Access Time, which is determined by the order their completed Secondary Application was submitted. Floors are already designated for FYE GIH and FYE General, so students are not attempting to select overlapping spaces at different room selection times.

 May 11, 2026:: Students will have the ability to self-select their room from their Room Selection open date until May 11 at 5pm. After this date and time, a student who either hasn’t selected their desired space, or applies after this date, will have their assignment for next year made by HRE staff (based on available inventory).

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. What buildings are available for me to select?

A. New incoming first-time freshman students will be able to select from rooms at the University Center as this building has specific room types reserved for new students. Transfer students will be able to choose from 30 East or the University Center.

Q. What types of rooms are available?

A. First-Time Freshman will reside at the UC in Quad Semi-Suite style rooms with the accompanying 15 meals/week meal plan. In addition, there will be a very small portion of Private Room Suites and Deluxe Double suites for selection. New Transfer/Exchange students will have the option of the follow room types between UC and 30E.

• Single Rooms (Twin/Twin XL Bed) in a shared apartment
• Single Rooms (Full Size Bed) in a shared apartment
• Double Rooms (Twin/ Twin XL Bed) in a shared apartment
• Small Double Rooms in a shared apartment
• Studios* (30 East Only)
• Deluxe Semi-Suites (UC Only + Mandatory 15 meals/week Meal Plan)
• Private Rooms* (UC Only + Mandatory 15 meals/week Meal Plan)

Q. What is a Quad Semi-Suite?

A. A Quad Semi-Suite is a shared living space designed for four students. The layout features two shared sleeping areas connected by a centrally located bathroom with a double vanity, shower, and toilet area. Each student has an adjustable-height Twin XL bed, a desk and chair, shelving, and a custom individual closet. (Images of this floor plan can be found later in this guide.) 

Here is a link to the UC website with their floor plan images: https://universitycenter.com/ as well as the Columbia page with these building details: https://students.colum.edu/residence-life/Housing_Options/University_Center. When reviewing these pages, spaces titled Quad Semi Suite, Semi Suite, or 4-person Semi Suite, are all the same room type are what will be available to first-time freshmen. 

Q. How Do Priority Numbers & Room Selection Access Times Work?

• Students must complete both the Primary and Secondary Housing Applications in the MCR Housing Portal.
• Once the Secondary Application is submitted, you will be assigned a priority number.
• Your priority number determines your Room Selection Access Time, which is the specific date and time you can log in to select your room.
• Students will be able to to view their exact Room Selection Access Time in advance of Room Selection opening.
• Students who would like to coordinate room selection with desired roommates should plan to complete their applications at the same time, so their priority numbers and Room Selection Access Times are close together.
• Since roommate groups are suspended this year, each student will select their own space during their assigned Room Selection Access Time.

Video instructions on how to complete the First Year Housing Application can be found here:

 

Video instructions on how to select a room in MCR can be found here:

 

 The Housing Contract is for a full academic year (both fall & spring semesters). Breaking the full academic year contract (aside from withdrawing, graduating, or Semester in LA/Study Aboard Program) will result in early termination penalties and fees, up to the full cost of housing.

 

Spring Only 2026 Housing Applications

Students beginning their journey at Columbia in Spring 2026 will be able to apply for housing via our MCR portal beginning on November 5, 2025. 

Securing housing for Spring is a three step process:

1. Complete the Spring 2026 Housing Application
2. Complete the application for your desired living community
   1. Please allow 30 minutes for our system to update your information and process your living community preference after submitting the first application for spring. After this time, log back in to complete the second part of the application, which is tailored to the living-learning community you selected. This will appear under ‘Housing Forms’, a dropdown will appear, select 'Housing Applications'.
3. Select your room

As part of the application process, students will be able to self-select, which gives students the capacity to independently choose their preferred housing options from available choices online.  It allows individuals to review and select housing accommodations based on their preferences and availability, streamlining the application process, and providing applicants with a degree of autonomy in choosing their living arrangements. All students who complete the primary and secondary applications prior to room selection opening, will all be able to enter the room selection process at the same time and date.  Seniority and completion date of your application has no impact on being able to select a room sooner.

Room Selection for students to self-select your space for the spring will open at 10am on December 3, 2025. Students will have until December 19, 2025 at 12pm to self-select a space. After this date, the HRE staff will make an assignment on your behalf.

Please note, your ranking of room types or buildings on this application does not guarantee that specific building or room type will be available for you to select during the room selection portion of this process. HRE gathers this information in case we must make any manual room assignments on your behalf. If a manual assignment is required, our staff will do our best to assign you within your preferences, but this cannot be guaranteed.

We hope that you will become quickly acquainted with our new MCR student housing portal, as it will serve as your "go-to" place for securing on-campus housing! It will be your home throughout the upcoming months. It will also eventually display room assignments, roommates and move-in information. 

Please note for financial planning purposes that on-campus housing is typically an out-of-pocket expense. Prior to signing your future housing contract, it is strongly recommended that you plan ahead and contact Columbia Central [columbiacentral@colum.edu]to ensure that you are able to make a financial commitment to your housing costs. All contracts are binding and cannot be canceled.

Spring Term Dates and Move-In Information

• Housing Application

  The 2025-2026 New Student Housing Application will be available in the MCR housing portal starting May 6, 2025. 

  Please make sure to use your newly provided Columbia creditentials to access the housing portal.  

   

• Housing Prepayment

  At this time, no pre-payment is required to apply for 2025-2026 housing! 

• How do I apply for on-campus housing?

  On May 6, 2025, we will be launching our housing application for the upcoming year. Students must be have paid their Enrollment Deposit AND have a Columbia email address to apply.

  By completing a Housing Application, this signals to Housing and Residential Experience that you are seeking to live on campus next year. You will access the application using the credentials you created for your Columbia Office 365 account. 

  Inside the Housing Application, you will be able to indicate your living preferences, community preferences (Gender-Inclusive Housing, Honors Housing, etc.), and provide emergency contact information. 

• What is the timeline to obtain housing?

  May 1, 2025: Housing Accommodation Request Deadline  

  New students seeking housing accommodations for a documented disability or Emotional Support Animal (ESA) should apply with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office by May 1, 2025, to ensure timely review of their materials. Requests submitted after this date will be reviewed; however particular space accommodations cannot be guaranteed based on availability. The Housing and Residential Experience office works very closely with the SSD office during the summer to place students based on their approved accommodations. 

  May 6, 2025: Housing Application Opens 

  All new students may begin submitting their 2025-26 housing application on May 6. You DO NOT need to submit your application the day it opens. The exact date and time of your completed application does not impact your room self-selection. 

  May 21, 2025: Living Learning Community Room Selection Opens

  New students who are seeking to live in a Living Learning Community (FYE Gender Inclusive Housing or FYE Honors) will be able to select a space starting May 21, 2025. Everyone in your living community will have access at 10am CST. Therefore, if you are trying to create an apartment group, you all can go in at once and select from available spaces. Please understand floors are already designated for specific LLCs and General, so students are not attempting to select overlapping spaces at different room selection timeframes.

  May 27 - 28, 2025: General First Year Experience (FYE) Room Selection Opens

  New students who are seeking to live in General FYE Housing will be able to select a space starting May 27-28, 2025 at 10am CST. Everyone in your living community will have access at 10am CST, on their respective day; therefore, if you are trying to create an apartment groups, you all can go in at once and select from available spaces. Floors are already designated for specific LLCs and General, so students are not attempting to select overlapping spaces at different room selection times.

  May 29, 2025: Transfer Students Room Selection Opens

  New transfer students who are seeking to live in General Housing or on the Transfer/Exchange floors at the Dwight will be able to select a space starting May 29, 2025 at 10am CST. Everyone in your living community will have access at 10am CST, on their respective day; therefore, if you are trying to create an apartment groups, you all can go in at once and select from available spaces. Floors are already designated for specific LLCs and General, so students are not attempting to select overlapping spaces at different room selection times.

• How will I be able to select a room?

  All incoming students will participate in what we call “self-selection”. This is the process in which students with a completed Housing Application will go online to the Housing Portal and select the exact room you want to live in for the upcoming Academic Year (Fall and Spring). The Housing Portal will show all available rooms at the time of your selection. If a specific building or room type is not shown, that means you are either not eligible to select that space or the space is no longer available. For example, if a first-year student is attempting to select Honors housing, but they are not an Honor student, the system will not show them Honors designated rooms.  Housing and Residential Experience will send a How-To Guide to students who have submitted a 25-26 Housing Application before Room Selection becomes available. This guide will show step-by-step instructions on how to navigate our available housing inventory in the Housing Portal. 

• How much is on-campus housing?

  For specific housing and meal plan rates, please refer to this Columbia Central page: 2025-2026 Housing and Meal Plan Rates

• Where will I be living?

  Transfer and Exchange Students 

  New students, who are not first-time freshmen, will be eligible to select available housing at the Arc, 30 East, and the University Center. On the housing application, you will be able to indicate if you are interested in Gender Inclusive Housing (GIH) which is offered in all our buildings. If eligible, you will be provided the option to select Honors Housing and/or our 21+ Community. There will be Honors living options at the University Center and at Dwight and our 21+ Community will be located at the Arc.  

  We encourage you to review housing options here: https://students.colum.edu/residence-life/Housing_Options/  

  Freshmen 

  The Office of Housing & Residential Experience is thrilled to be expanding our First Year Experience Community (FYE) for the upcoming year.  All first-time freshmen will be joining our First Year Experience Learning Community and will be living at the Dwight Lofts for the upcoming year! 

  The FYE community has an intentional focus on the first-year collegian experience. We place an emphasis on providing programs and experiences that align with the needs of first year students; prioritizing a transition to college, acclimating to Columbia College Chicago, and life in Chicago. Residents who live in the FYE community will engage in a variety of intentional learning, social, and creative opportunities designed to enhance the Columbia student experience. First Year Experience residents will participate in community development opportunities on campus and around the city of Chicago, gain essential leadership skills, and have unique opportunities to complement their academic experience. 
   
  FYE programs include (but are not limited to), establishing healthy habits, meeting other students, exploring various study techniques, how to get involved, improve communication, and much more 

  All new students will be able to indicate their interest in living in Gender Inclusive Housing (GIH) on the application, which will be on the 4th and 5th floors of the Dwight. Students living on GIH floors at the Dwight are still a part of the First Year Experience. 

  If you are part of the Honors program, you can select to be part of the Honors Community or Floors on the Housing Application.  FYE Honors will be on the 2nd floor of the Dwight. If you do not select Honors on the Housing Application, you will be enrolled in the First Year Experience and live at the Dwight.  

• First Year Experience (FYE) Housing

  All first time freshman will be joining our First Year Experience (FYE) Learning Community at the Dwight for the upcoming year!
  
  By default, all new First Year students will be enrolled in the First Year Experience. Students will be able to indicate if they are interested in Gender Inclusive Housing on the upcoming application, which will be on the 4th and 5th floors of the Dwight.
  
  If you are new Honors students, being a part of the Honors Community at the Dwight will be an option to you. If you do not select Honors or GIH in the drop downs below, you will be enrolled in the First Year Experience.
  
  This community has an intentional focus on the first year collegian experiences. We place an emphasis on providing programs and experiences that align with the needs of first year students; prioritizing both an acclimation to college and to Columbia College Chicago. Residents who live in the FYE community will engage in a variety of intentional learning, social, and creative opportunities designed to enhance the Columbia student experience. First Year Experience residents will participate in community development opportunities on campus and around the city of Chicago, gain essential leadership skills, and have unique opportunities to complement their academic experience.
  
  FYE programs include (but are not limited to), establishing good habits, meeting other students, identifying healthy habits, exploring various study techniques, how to get involved, improve communication, and much more!
   
  The Dwight has a combination of private and shared-bedroom in a shared apartment options - averaging 4-6 students per apartment.

• What does Gender-Inclusive Housing mean?

  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 that extends to student housing.  Housing and Residential Experience offers Gender-Inclusive Housing (GIH) that provides an on-campus residence experience that welcomes students across all gender identities and/or expressions, especially for transgender, questioning or gender non-conforming students. All residential students, regardless of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation have the option to request gender-inclusive housing. This community is not for those that want to live with their significant others. Please note we do not use gender as a criteria in the assignment process for the GIH communities. All students assigned to the GIH community will live with others who have requested this living accommodation. 

• What are the meal plan options I can choose from?

  There are two types of meal plans. Let’s start with the suite room types at the University Center. Most first year students will be residing at the Dwight; however, if you are in the Honors program and select a private room suite, a deluxe double suite, or a semi-suite room at the University Center, the full meal plan is mandatory for the academic year contract. Suite rooms do not have kitchens, so the meal plan is required. The rates published on the college’s website for suite rooms include the cost of the meal plan, but the charge will appear separately on your student bill. All suite rooms are in the University Center, which is where the dining hall is also located. 

  For all other residential students (i.e. students not in suite rooms at the University Center) there is an optional, supplementary meal plan of 150 meals for the academic year which you can select inside the Housing portal and will be billed in the fall term. Meals in this plan are divided equally between fall and spring, with each term including 75-meals. There is also a 75-meal plan students can purchase for the spring only, but we only allow signing up for those in January 2026. All apartments in the Dwight have kitchens. 

  When considering whether to purchase the supplementary meal plan, keep these tips in mind: 

  The meal plan is non-refundable, in whole or in part, for any reason—even if you withdraw from the institution entirely after September 12, 2025. 

  All other room types (non-suites) have full kitchens, so students have the option of cooking for themselves—and many of our students do. There are three grocery stores (Jewel-Osco, Trader Joe’s, and Target) within a few blocks of campus, and grocery delivery is available from online services. 

  The dining hall serviced by the meal plan is located in the University Center at 525 S. State Street. Students living in other buildings should consider that they’ll be walking to and from the University Center for their meals. 

  The dining hall is located at the University Center residence hall. Meal plans are either mandatory or optional, depending on the type of space a student has selected. 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. These meal plans are only accepted at the dining hall within the University Center 

  Mandatory Meal Plan ($2490/ Semester)

  • Residents who have selected a semi suite, deluxe double suite, or private room suite at the University Center are provided with the mandatory meal plan, as these units do not include kitchens.
  • The meal plan offers 15 meals per week for each semester. It also includes $750 in Flex dollars ($375 per semester) to spend at the student’s discretion within the University Center dining facility during the regular academic year.
  • If you select a suite style room during room selection, the Mandatory Meal Plan will be automatically added to your account (no further action is needed).

   

  150 Optional Meal Plan ($2326/ Year)

  • This includes 150 meals for the entire academic year, plus $400 in Flex dollars to spend at the student's discretion within the University Center 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.  Flex dollars roll over to the next semester.

  Steps to Select the Optional 150 Meal Plan

  • On the MCR portal home page, go to the left-hand menu, click “Dining Plan”
  • On the Dining Plan page, there will be a drop down menu for the term. Select “Fall 2025” as the term.
  • The Optional 150 Meal Plan will be listed as an available meal plan option. Click the check box to select the plan. Then click the green button “Select Dining Plan” to finalize your selection.
• Roommate Group Requests

  For the current year, our office is offering a limited, pilot option for students to select and match with roommates. However, please note that this option is restricted to roommates (those sharing a bedroom), not apartment-mates (those living in the same apartment but potentially in separate bedrooms). Students can create a roommate group with one other person (you and one other resident only). If you choose this option, you will be agreeing to live in a Double, Small Double, Semi-Suite, or Deluxe Double Suite together.

  After completing the primary and secondary housing applications you will be eligible to begin matching with desired roommates. Students who already have a specific student in mind they wish to live with can go to the roommate matching page and type in that person’s name. Click the button below their name to add them as a friend and then add them as a roommate. The other person must accept the invite to be roommates. Once this is done, whoever is selecting a room first will automatically pull in their roommate to that shared bedroom selected.

• Move-In Dates

  We will be conducting Fall 2025 Move-In the week of August 25, 2025.

  No Move-Ins will occur on Friday, August 29 due to Convocation. All new students should plan to attend Convocation on that day, which is why there are no move-ins offered on this date.

  Students must sign up for a specific move-in date and time. Students will be able to begin selecting a Fall 2025 Move-In time on the Housing Portal in late July 2025.  Our office will email students with more details as we get closer to sign-ups launching.

• 2025-2026 Academic Year Dates

  Important 2025-2026 College Dates:

  • Monday, September 1, 2025: Labor Day and all Columbia College Chicago office will be closed.
  • Tuesday, September 2, 2025: Fall 2025 classes begin on
  • Wednesday, November 26 – Sunday, November 30, 2025: Thanksgiving break (no classes)
  • Saturday, December 13: Semester Ends
    • Students not returning for Spring 2026, must move out by December 13, 2025 at 12pm.
    • Students are eligible to reside on-campus for the duration of winter break
  • Saturday, December 13, 2025 - January 19, 2026: Winter Break
  • Monday, January 19, 2026: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no classes)
  • Monday, January 26, 2026: Spring 2026 courses begin
  • Monday, March 23 – Sunday, March 29, 2026: Spring Break
  • Friday, May 15, 2026: Spring semester ends
  • Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 12pm: 2025-2026 Housing contract ends and students must be moved out
• Waitlist Options

  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, 2025, the Housing & Residential Experience Office will open waitlists for each residence hall, themed community (i.e., 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 guarantee that students on any waitlist will have their request honored.

  Students who have signed their housing contract for their initial assignment may begin “wait listing” different communities/living setups. 

  Requests will be honored pending space availability.