There are many types of housing available at Stanford University and students are able to list every available undergraduate residence and room type on their Draw applications.

Residence Halls

There are 10 undergraduate residence halls on campus. Each residence hall is made up of various houses and wings. All of the residence halls are co-ed, but in some houses, men and women may live on separate floors. Some houses within these halls are 4-class, or houses where freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors all live together. Other houses are 3-class, or houses where only sophomores, juniors, and seniors live.

All of the residence halls have Resident Fellows and Resident Assistants who plan social and educational activities for the hall residents. Additionally, all of the residence halls are served by a dining hall, either in the building or nearby. All students who live in residence halls are required to be on a Stanford Dining meal plan, which allows students to eat at any Stanford dining hall.

See the Residence Hall page of our website for more information about specific residence halls.

Apartments and Suites

Mirrielees is an apartment complex made up of 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and is always in the Draw. Rains and Oak Creek are apartment complexes that have been offered in the Draw in past years. However, with the opening of the Humanities Theme Residence in Manzanita Park, Rains and Oak Creek will not be offered in the Draw 2015. Rains will return to Graduate Student Housing. Oak Creek will be used to help meet student demand during Winter Quarter.

Students who live in apartment-style housing are not required to be on a meal plan, but can add one if they choose. 

The Suites are located in Governor's Corner and offer an additional living option for undergraduate students. There are 4-person and 6-person suites available in the Draw as well as two 8-person suites. Each person within a suite has their own bedroom and shares a bathroom with the other occupants of that suite. All suites have 1 bathroom except for the two 8-person suites, which each have two bathrooms. In the Draw, priority for 6-person suites is given to groups of 3 and 6, while priority for 4- and 8-person suites is given to groups of 4 and 8.

Students who live in Suites are required to join one of the four dining societies and sign a dining society agreement.

See the Apartments and Suites page for more information about specific apartment- and suite-style residences.

Small Group Houses

Small group houses range in size from 30 to 65 students, and are located along the Row and in Governor's Corner. Most small group houses do not have a Resident Fellow, but do have a number of student staff who live in the house and perform specific duties.

Small group houses, especially those on the Row, allow students to manage their affairs with a higher degree of autonomy and self accountability. All small group houses are still part of the Stanford residence system and are bound by the same rules that apply to all students living on campus.

Self-Ops

In Row self-ops (self-operated houses), student staff manage the operation of the house's meal service and hire a house cook. These students establish a board plan, coordinate house jobs, and budget house finances. Meals in self-ops are prepared by a chef and the house is serviced by University custodians. All students in self-ops are required to be on their house's board plan.

Co-Ops

In co-ops (cooperative houses), students are required to be more involved in the day-to-day operation and governance of their house. Each co-op has its own unique identity but the over arching idea of co-op life is that students develop a greater sense of community and commitment to each other when they share in the various duties required to maintain a house.

Students in co-ops usually spend from 3 to 6 hours per week doing house jobs, which can include cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning bathrooms or common areas. Additionally, some co-ops may require students to participate in a “work week” prior to the beginning of Autumn Quarter, during which the house is cleaned and readied for the opening of school. Interested students should contact the co-op to learn more. Because students perform jobs within the house, the room rate for living in a co-op is less than the rate for students living in a residence hall or self-op.

In order to see co-op communities on their housing applications, students must indicate that they are willing to meet the requirements to participate in that co-op. More information on the various co-ops can be found on Residential Education's website.

See the Small Group Houses page for more information about all Small Group Houses and visit Residential Education's website for more information about meals on the Row.

Premier vs. Standard Spaces

When you list Row houses on your application, you will be able to choose between premier and standard rooms. A “premier” room includes a single sleeping space, such as a single room or a two-room double. A “standard” room is a shared sleeping space, such as a one-room double, a triple, a quad etc. During the Draw you are assigned a house and room type. Your actual room is determined during Residential Education's in-house Draw, which takes place after Draw results are announced. See the “After The Draw” section on our website for more information about this process.

Please be aware that due to the popularity of the Row houses, it is possible that a student using Tier 1 may get placed in a triple or quad if they are assigned to a standard space. Students should not select standard spaces unless they are willing to live in any of the standard room types within that house.

Academic Theme Communities

Theme communities create a learning experience for residents that centers around a particular topic or cultural identity. There are a few types of theme communities.

Academic theme houses are sponsored by academic departments; language and culture houses explore a specific language and culture;ethnic theme houses consist of students who are interested in the history and culture of specific ethnicities; and focus houses are driven by exploration of a common theme or discipline.

Theme communities usually have specific requirements students must meet to order to live within the house. In order to see most theme communities on their housing applications, students must indicate that they meet the requirements of the themes they will list on their applications. More information on the various themes can be found on Residential Education's website.

Greek Houses

Stanford houses a number of Greek organizations on campus. See the Greek Housing webpage for more information.

Resources

• Residence Chart - Allows students to see the number of spaces available in each house, whether the house is 3-class or 4-class, and the breakout of room types within a house.
• Rates Chart - Allows students to see the costs associated with living in each residence. This includes residence charges per quarter, house dues, meal plan requirements, and meal plan rates.