2024-2025 Edition

Residential Life

Residential Life and Housing

Barnard maintains a diversified residential program. Residential options include traditional corridor-style and suite-style rooms in College-owned or rented buildings on or near to campus. On average, the number of first-year students in College housing is 98%, while the average residency rate among upperclass students is 75%. In a cooperative exchange with the Columbia Housing office, a limited number of Barnard and Columbia upperclass students participate in a housing exchange program. 

Residence Halls

All Barnard College owned or operated residence halls are completely smoke-free. Under the leadership of the Director for Residential Life and the Director for Housing & Non-Residential Support, the College provides substantial supervision of student life in the residence halls. Buildings are directly managed by Community Directors (CD) or Residential Life Coordinators (RLC) and students receive additional support from Resident Assistants (RA). The Barnard CARES Community Safety office provides 24-hour Access Attendant coverage at the residence hall front desks and regular security guard patrols.

Brooks, Hewitt, Reid, and Sulzberger Halls make up "The Quad" at the south end of the campus. First Year students are assigned to singles, doubles, triples, and quad rooms in all four buildings.  Upperclass students are assigned to singles & doubles in Hewitt and the higher floors of Sulzberger (referred to as “Sulzberger Tower).

A number of residence halls provide housing for upperclass students near to the campus. 

  • 600, 616, and 620 are suite-style residence halls on W. 116th St.  

  • Elliott is a corridor-style residence hall on Claremont Ave. 

  • Plimpton is a suite-style residence hall on Amsterdam Ave, adjacent to Columbia & Teacher’s College. 

  • Cathedrals Gardens is a suite-style residence hall on Manhattan Ave, which also houses faculty members. 

  • 121st Street is a suite-style residence hall one block north of campus off Broadway. 

  • The College also rents apartments for students in “College Residence,” located at 110th St. and Broadway.

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria have been established in order to assign available space on an equitable basis. These regulations may be changed as needed at the discretion of the College, but insofar as possible, the following criteria will determine eligibility:

  • Eligibility for residence is limited to Barnard students and approved visiting students who have both completed the registration and program filing processes and have made all required payments by the payment deadlines.

  • Some Columbia students may also be eligible, providing they meet the requirements for the Barnard/Columbia Housing Exchange as defined by Columbia University Undergraduate Housing.

  • Students must be enrolled on a full-time basis.

Housing Assignments

Returning upperclass students already living in College housing who started at the College as First-Year students are eligible to take part in the Room Selection process, to secure housing for the following academic year. Most students select through the Housing Lottery, but students may also apply for Pre-Lottery placements as an accommodation through the Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS).

New First-Year students who apply for campus housing are matched with roommates and assigned to rooms by the College based on the responses to their Housing Application. 

New Transfer students, students returning from a leave of absence, and non-residential continuing students may apply for housing. While the College always hopes to be able to provide housing for as many applicants as possible, space in campus housing is limited and assignment is not guaranteed for these populations. Students who start at the College as Transfers are not eligible to take part in the Room Selection process for continuing students.

Requirements

The rules and regulations regarding payments, refunds, and the use and occupancy of rooms are in the Housing Contract, which students sign when they apply for College housing. The Housing Contract and the Residence Hall Handbook may both be reviewed online.

Board

All Barnard students are required to participate in a meal plan. All first-year students residing in Barnard housing are required to enroll in the Platinum meal plan.  Upperclass students who live on floors 2-8 of the Quad are required to enroll at minimum in the Flex 150 Meal Plan.  All other students, including those living off-campus, are enrolled by default in the Flex 125 meal plan (but must be enrolled at minimum in the Convenience Points meal plan).

Meal Plan enrollment is coordinated by the Bursar’s office. Students may alter their meal plan enrollments (within the allowable parameters), including selecting Kosher options, through the Meal Plan Change form (on the Housing Portal) through the following deadlines:

  • Fall Semester -- Monday, August 26, 2024

  • Spring Semester -- Monday, January 13, 2025

Any meals remaining on any meal plan at the end of the fall semester are forfeited. Any meal plan points remaining at the end of the fall semester may be carried over to the spring semester providing that the student remains enrolled in a Barnard meal plan during the spring semester. Any meals or meal plan points remaining at the end of the spring semester are forfeited.

Married Students & Students with Children

College housing is available only for enrolled Barnard students. College housing is not available for the spouses or significant others of students and/or their children.

Financial Aid for Room and Board

All students who live on campus will have their financial aid based on the resident student budget. A student who receives aid from the College based upon the resident budget must live in College housing billed by Barnard. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Office of Financial Aid when she decides not to reside on campus. Students who decide to live off-campus or commute from home will have their financial aid based on the commuter student budget. 

  • All first-year students who are receiving financial aid will have a resident budget based on the cost of a multiple room and the Platinum Meal Plan. 

  • Upper-class resident students with access to a kitchen who are receiving financial aid will have a budget based on a single room and the cost of the Flex 125 meal plan.  

  • Upper-class resident students without access to a kitchen who are receiving financial aid will have a budget based on a single room and the cost of the Platinum meal plan.  

  • Non-residential students who receive financial aid will have a meal allowance based on the cost of the Flex 125 meal plan.  

  • A student who chooses to reside in a studio apartment must cover the difference between the cost of a studio apartment and a single room from her own resources.

Resident Assistants

Residential Life & Housing employs students as Resident Assistants (RAs) throughout campus housing.  RAs facilitate the social, academic, and personal adjustment of students to the residence hall and University. RAs serve as a role model, provide referrals to resources across the College, enforce the policies of Residential Life & Housing and the College, and provide social & educational programming.