Detailing SU’s on-campus housing amid new dorms, more upperclassmen options
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As Syracuse University students prepare to select their housing assignments for the 2027-28 academic year, the construction of new residence halls will provide additional on-campus options for undergraduate students.
Three new residence halls will open for the fall 2027 semester, according to SU. The buildings, dedicated entirely to second-year students and located on North Campus at Waverly, Comstock and Ostrom Avenues, will add around 1,900 beds to SU’s housing portfolio collectively, according to a Wednesday release from the Office of Housing, Meal Plan and ID Card Services.
SU is also expanding the amount of North Campus housing available to third- and fourth-year students.
In addition to the new residence halls, Brockway, Boland and Brewster Halls, previously home to first-year students, will close at the end of this academic year. Booth Hall, which currently houses second-year students and above, will also not accept new residents for the 2027-28 academic year, according to SU’s website.
With 21 locations offered, The Daily Orange compiled a list of all available on-campus housing options for next academic year.
Incoming first-year students
With the new housing system, eight residence halls will remain dedicated solely to first-year students.
The first-year-only residence halls will include:
Additionally, first-year students will also live on designated first-year-only floors in Ernie Davis Hall, which will house other years.
A few days after submitting an advance tuition and housing payment and confirming admission at SU, incoming students will receive a link from Housing, Meal Plan and I.D. Card Services to apply for on-campus housing. Students have until May 31 to submit or edit their applications through the Housing Portal.
Rising second-year students
SU requires undergraduate students to live on campus for a minimum of two years, with exceptions for transfer students and those living in fraternity and sorority houses during their second year.
For students who haven’t completed the two-year requirement, the Housing Application will remain open on SU’s Housing Portal until March 11 to participate fully in room selection. Students who submit after the March 11 priority deadline will still be able to select a room, but may receive a later time slot and not have the option to live in a Living Learning Community.
After going through the Roommate Matching process after application submissions, second-year students will pick a room during one of four housing selection rounds:
- LLC round, March 17
- Two- or three-bedroom apartments on South Campus, March 19
- Campus-wide selection round, randomly assigned time slot during the week of March 23
- Open selection for students who didn’t select in previous rounds, March 31 – April 1
Second-year students will have six housing options on North Campus — Ernie Davis Hall, Riley Hall and Watson Hall, along with the three newly constructed residence halls.
Ernie Davis Hall, located at 619 Comstock Avenue on SU’s North Campus, has an occupancy of 250 students and contains single and split double options. The residence hall also contains a gym, dining hall and study spaces. Ernie Davis Hall will be open to all levels of undergraduate students across SU.
Riley Hall, located at 801 University Avenue on SU’s North Campus, has an occupancy of 430 students and consists of open doubles and triples. Each room contains a private bathroom. The hall also features laundry on each floor and is connected to Orange Dining Hall. Riley Hall will be open to second-year students only.
Watson Hall, located at 405 University Place on SU’s North Campus, holds 460 students. The hall has a variety of room layouts including singles, open doubles and two-, three-, four-, and six-person suites, which include a common area and couch. Some rooms have en-suite bathrooms, and students in other room layouts use the gender-inclusive bathrooms located on each floor. Watson Hall will be open to second-year students only.
Each of the new residence halls will include four- and two-bedroom suites, each with an en-suite bathroom. All of the halls will have air conditioning, wellness and study rooms, a designated soundproof instrument practice room and a communal kitchen on all main floors.
The three new residence halls are:
- Ostrom Hall, 544 University Place
- Waverly Hall, 315 Waverly Avenue
- Comstock Hall, 501 Comstock Avenue
Second-year students also have the option to live on SU’s South Campus, which houses 2,500 of SU’s students. About a mile away from the university’s main campus, students who live on South Campus commute to North Campus through SU’s centro-bus and trolley systems.
On South Campus, students have the option to live in either two- or three-bedroom apartments, as well as a new one-bedroom townhouse-style apartment that includes a furnished study room. Each South Campus apartment has private bedrooms, full kitchens and apartment-shared bathrooms.
Second-year students and above also have the option to live in one of Skyhall’s three residence halls on South Campus. In total, the Skyhall buildings can accommodate about 180 students, each in single rooms. All of the buildings include laundry on each floor, individual bathrooms and lounges.
Rising third- and fourth-year students
Although third- and fourth-year students will have already completed their on-campus housing requirement, students will still have the option to live on campus starting next year.
The Housing Portal will open applications for interested students on Nov. 16.
The room selection process for third- and fourth-year students will begin on Dec. 1 and continue through Jan. 15, taking place before selections for second-year students. SU’s Office of Housing, Meal Plan and ID Card Services “strongly” encourages students to apply early, as the housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Three residence halls will be dedicated solely to third- and fourth-year students on North Campus: Milton Hall, Oren Lyons Hall and Washington Arms.
Milton Hall, located at 727 South Crouse Avenue, adjacent to Marshall Street, offers studio, one-, two-, and four-bedroom layouts for students. Each bedroom also contains a full bathroom and additional amenities, including a fitness center, laundry room and study and entertainment spaces.
Oren Lyons Hall includes single and open double layouts, as well as a three-person suite option. The residence hall is located at 401 Euclid Avenue and has an occupancy of only 40 students. The building has lounges on each of the three floors as well as laundry in the basement.
Washington Arms Hall contains open doubles as well as two- and three-person suites. Located at 621 Walnut Avenue, the building features a private bathroom within each room or suite and kitchens on each floor.
In addition, rising third- and fourth-year students also have the option to live at Ernie Davis Hall or in any of South Campus’s residence options, including Skyhall.
