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Residence Life

Living on campus is integral to the Holy Cross experience

Pictured are three male students in their dorm roomIn single rooms and shared apartments, Saints love living on campus because it provides an amazing opportunity to form close-knit friendships that will last a lifetime.

You’ll also find that living on campus places you at the heart of the action—just a short walk from your classes, St. Joseph Chapel, the McKenna Library, and the Pfeil Recreation Center, to name a few.

Choose from one of six single-sex on-campus residence halls or, if you’d rather live off-campus, University Edge offers co-ed apartment housing just one mile from campus.

Even the dining hall feels like home

Subpar food used to be a rite of passage for college students. Not anymore. The staff in Siegfried Dining Hall make delicious and diverse dishes—all while treating students like part of the Holy Cross family.

Enrollment in a meal plan at Siegfried Dining Hall is included in all on-campus housing. In addition, you can use Basil Bucks as an extension of your meal plan at locations ranging from our Ave Brew Cafe (proudly serving Starbucks) to eateries at the University of Notre Dame.

Living on campus is integral to the Holy Cross experience, we made it mandatory

In accordance with our mission, Holy Cross College requires that all full-time, first-year and sophomore students live on campus, unless exempted from this requirement. Learn more about the exception guidelines here.

New first-year and transfer students who have indicated that they will not be living on campus will complete a housing exemption form on their Holy Cross Applicant Portal. Requests are subject to approval.

Continuing students can request an exemption by completing this form.

All first-year and sophomore students who are not approved for an exemption must apply for housing and will be charged full room and meal expenses. Some students may qualify for additional need-based financial aid if they were originally packaged as an off-campus student and the exemption request is denied.

Find out more about what to bring by clicking here.

Here's what students say about what they like most about living on campus

“What I like most about living on campus is the strong sense of community and brotherhood that comes from a small college; with the advantages of a large university just outside your door!”

~Jake Kalman
Anselm Hall
First-year student

“The convenience of on-campus living is second to none. I am no more than a 3-minute walk from any of my friends. Being able to assemble my friends at a moment’s notice makes it so much easier to create a tight-knit community. Beyond that, being a short walk to class or the library is so wonderful, especially in the winter. Another great perk of living on campus is the proximity to the dining hall and to the chapel! Living on campus has its perks of convenience, and in my opinion, it has better enabled me to make close friends.”

~Sean Kelley
Basil Hall
Gateway student

“Living on campus for me was the foundation for my amazing experiences and long-lasting memories at Holy Cross. Each year at Holy Cross I lived in a dorm room: Two years as an underclassman and two years as a Resident Assistant. Every year I saw the community grow in different ways, but it was always getting more relevant to our campus. By living on campus, you are immediately part of your dorm community through roommates, classmates, and upperclassmen. Even as an upperclassman, there is still an advantage to living on campus. You continue meeting new people and get the chance to extend your community to include underclassmen.” 

~William Skoch
Class of 2021 alumnus