Stanford Undergraduate Residences

Undergraduate students live in 78 different houses, including 70 University-assigned houses, 6 residential fraternities, and 2 residential sororities. Residences are located around the campus within ten minutes walking or biking distance of most classrooms and libraries.

Undergraduate Residences

Stanford undergraduate residences can be broken down in the following way:

10 All Freshmen Houses 18 Four Class Houses 48 Upper Class Houses 10 Greek Houses 1 All Sophomore House 2 Freshman/Sophomore Houses 8 Academic, Language and Culture Houses 7 Focus Theme Houses 4 Ethnic Theme Houses 35 Houses with Resident Fellows 36 Row Houses

Residences vary greatly in their program, type of building, method of service provision, configuration, and facilities. Stanford generally classifies its residences as dormitories, small-group houses, apartments, and suites. Each type of residence offers a distinct lifestyle that tries to meet the needs of Stanford's diverse student body. For more information, please visit the individual dorm and house home pages.

Academic, Language and Culture Houses

• EAST House, East Asian Studies Theme House
• Hammarskjold House, International Theme House
• Haus Mitteleuropa, Central European Theme House
• La Casa Italiana, Italian Language and Culture
• La Maison Francaise, French Language and Culture
• Slavianskii Dom, Slavic/East European Theme House
• Storey, Human Biology Theme House
• Yost, Spanish Language and Culture

Cross-Cultural Theme Houses

• Casa Zapata, Chicano/Latino Theme House in Stern Hall
• Muwekma-tah-ruk, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Theme House
• Okada, Asian-American Theme House in Wilbur Hall
• Ujamaa, Black/African-American Theme House in Lagunita Court

Focus Houses

• Castano, Global Affairs
• Lantana, Humanities Focus House
• Murray, Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity
• Naranja, Entrepreneurial Spirit
• Arroyo, Symbolic Systems and Related Majors
• Kimball, Arts & Performing Arts
• Toyon, Sophomore Priority House

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Dormitories

There are nine undergraduate dormitories at Stanford:

• Branner Hall
• Florence Moore Hall
• Lagunita Court
• Manzanita Park
• Roble Hall
• Sterling Quadrangle
• Stern Hall
• Toyon Hall
• Wilbur Hall

Life in dormitories centers on individual floors or wings, on single houses, and on entire residences. Resident Fellows and student Resident Assistants in each dormitory help residents plan educational, social, and recreational activities. Students are encouraged to initiate programs on their own and to participate in programs planned by other house residents.

Dormitories vary greatly in their physical plan. All dormitories are coed. In some houses, men and women live on separate floors; in others, men and women live on the same floor; while in still other houses, both options are offered. Most dormitories include freshmen. The exceptions are Castaño, Kimball Hall and Lantana Houses in Manzanita Park, Toyon Hall, and Potter and Robinson in Sterling Quadrangle, which are solely upperclass residences. Branner Hall is an all-frosh dormitory.

Sterling Quadrangle in Governors Corner and Lagunita Court consist of connected houses that share a common dining facility. Florence Moore, Stern, and Wilbur Halls are also composed of connected houses, but each house has its own dining room. Branner, Roble and Toyon Halls are large, single structures. Branner has its own dining room; Roble Hall and Lagunita Court share a dining facility. Toyon residents eat at one of three associated Eating Clubs.

A University Dining Services meal plan is required in all dormitories except Toyon Hall. Detailed information on board options is included on the Dining Options page of the Housing Assignment Services web site.

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Small-Group Houses

Small-group houses are small, freestanding houses which range in size from 30 to 65 students. They include both those on the Row and the independent houses in Governors Corner. Each house has its own outdoor recreational area, living room, dining room, study, and other common areas. Student rooms are of varying sizes and shapes; most are one-room doubles, although there are a limited number of singles, two-room doubles, triples, quads, and quints. Groups living in small-group houses feel a strong sense of self-reliance and residents share responsibility for planning house activities, both social and educational. Resident Assistants in each house and Resident Fellows, Program Assistants, and Theme Associates, in houses where they exist assist students in seeing that the house runs smoothly, that problems get solved, and that house activities reflect the social and educational interests and needs of residents.

Small-group houses are either University-operated or student-managed. In student-managed houses, residents manage certain aspects of the operation of the house, such as the meal service or cleaning. Houses generally have an open kitchen available to residents outside mealtimes.

Apartments and Suites

Two residences offer more private living arrangements:

• Mirrielees Apartments
• The Suites

Apartments and suites offer students an opportunity to live in a small, self-selected group of two to eight students. These options afford more independence and privacy than are available in dormitories and other residences. They are best-suited for students who wish to make their primary social group small; however, residence-wide social activities are offered as well.

Mirrielees is an apartment building, where each apartment has a living room, dining area, kitchen, one bedroom, and a bathroom, and is shared by two students of the same sex. The residence staff in Mirrielees includes three tutors, a peer health educator, and two Resident Computer Coordinators (RCCs).

The Suites, located in Governors Corner, are like apartments but do not have a kitchen. Each suite consists of a living room, shared bath, and either four or six single bedrooms. Two 8-bedroom town house suites (assigned to groups of four or eight students) are also available. Students living in the Suites are required to join one of four Dining Societies and to sign a Dining Societies agreement. There are no exceptions to this requirement.

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