- Basics
- Approximately 38,579 students
- 37% of all upperclassmen live on campus
- There are 5 separate Residence Hall Communities
- North
- Although North Halls are a little removed from classes they are rumored to be the nicest and most comfortable residence hall dorm rooms on campus.
- South
- South is in the middle of campus. It's close to everything and it's a quieter neighborhood than East.
- West
- West Halls residence area is just a short walk away from many of Penn State's learning and sports facilities. Rumored to have the best food it's a great living option for anyone.
- East
- East halls may be far from classes but east is the place to live as a freshman. There is always something to do at east and the noisy, active environment makes it easy to make friends.
- Pollock
- Generally a quiet and more peaceful environment, Pollock is near the center of campus and close to everything.
- Student Comments
- Living on campus is definitely easy. Food options are available all over and at all hours of the night (College Prowler).
- Definitely a lot of social opportunities and really convenient for getting to classes. A little bit cramped in some dorms, but some are very large. Always close to food/dining and always close to transportation (Prowler)
- Housing on campus is pretty awesome; it's close to everything- classes, dining commons, and downtown. It's clean and well-kept and the staff is very friendly. However, if you are not a member of Greek life I don't recommend living in a dorm room that houses a sorority or fraternity (Prowler).
The North Residence Halls
- Basics
- Coed
- Suite style
- Private bath
- Rumored to be the most comfortable halls
- Floor Plans
- Exclusive/Additional Amenities
- Carpeted Rooms
- Residential Computing (ResCom) Office
- Experienced students available to assist with various computer issues.
- Fitness Activities
- Tennis
- Basketball (with outdoor lighted courts)
- Volleyball
- Residence Halls
- Leete
- Runkle
- Holmes
- Beam
- Rooms assigned through eliving residence hall lottery
- Dining
- Warnock Commons
- North Food District
- All-you-care-to-eat dining commons
- BlueSpoon Deli
- A la carte breakfasts
- Fresh sandwiches, salads, pizza, subs, specialty items, and an evening snack bar
- RigaTony's III
- Made-to-order Italian
- Pasta with your choice of delicious sauces, homemade flatbread and specialty pizzas, fresh salad, baked bread sticks, and antipasto
- Halel
- Hand carved halal certified gyro, with choice of topping and tzatziki sauce
- Located Near
- Student Opinion
- When you are living in the lap of dorm luxury in North Halls it's hard to break away. Spoiled with carpeted rooms, private bathrooms, centralized A/C and heating, and wireless internet throughout the building, residents of Holmes Hall live like kings (Prowler)
South Halls
- Basics
- Coed Halls
- Some Halls reserved for freshman
- A few sororities are located in South Halls
- Exclusive/Additional Amenities
- 25-hour computer lab
- Indoor walkways
- Residential Computing (ResCom) Office
- Experienced students available to assist with various computer issues.
- Residence Halls
- Atherton
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Cooper
- Cross
- Ewing
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Living in a Free Environment House
- Haller
- Hibbs
- Hoyt
- Lyons
- McElwain
- Simmons
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Stephens
- Dining
- Redifer Commons
- Menu
- South Food District
- Southside Buffet
- all-you-care-to-eat dining commons
- Carved meats, fresh salads and more
- Louie's
- a convenience store and evening snack bar
- 6 daily soups, lean meats, low fat cheeses, lighter desserts and a whole lot more.
- City Grill
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites
- Omelets, bagel sandwiches, burger, cheesesteaks and more
- Fresco y Caliente
- South of the border cuisine
- Burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and tacos
- Hot Steel and Noodles
- All your Asian favorites made-for-me
- Mongolian grill, hand rolled sushi, and daily stir fry specials
- Infiniter
- Choose your drink
- Variety of fresh brewed teas, customized milkshakes, signature sundaes, hand dipped cones, or frozen yogurts
- In A Pickle
- Create your made-for-me sandwich
- Fresh backed sub rolls, wraps, and paninis
- Off the Ground
- Fresh brewed drinks and
- Coffee, lattes, espresso, cappuccinos, locally made pastries and bagels
- Piatto Felice
- Italian favorites
- Pasta, pizza, casseroles, and savory sauces
- Urban Garden
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Oat meal bar, make your own yogurt and fresh fruit parfait, and salad bar
- Located Near
West Halls
- Basics
- Traditional collegiate residence style
- Brick buildings open onto quad with symmetrical walkways and arches that lead to the heart of campus
- Coed by room
- Double, small double, and triple rooms
- Exclusive/Additional Amenities
- Residential Computing (ResCom) Office
- Experienced students available to assist with various computer issues.
- Waring Commons features
- Study lounge
- Electronic lounge
- Outdoor patio/cafe
- Residence Halls
- Hamilton
- Irvin
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Jordan
- McKee
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Thompson
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Watts
- Dining
- Warring Square
- West Food District
- The West Wing
- Made-to-order and grab-and-go foods
- Sandwiches, cheesesteaks, paninis, wraps, salads, desserts, and more
- Sisu
- Organic and all natural store and coffee bar
- Lattes, cappuccinos, teas, smoothies and more coffee shop favorites
- Located Near
East Halls
- Basics
- Largest Residence hall complex
- Mostly reserved for freshman
- Double rooms
- A few sororities located here
- 14 residence halls
- Exclusive/Additional Amenities
- Residential Computing (ResCom) Office
- Experienced students available to assist with various computer issues.
- Residence Halls
- Bigler
- Brumbaugh
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Curtin
- Geary
- Hastings
- McKean
- Packer
- Pennypacker
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Pinchot
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Snyder
- Sproul
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- First-Year Interest in Education
- First-Year Interest in Liberal Arts
- Stone
- Stuart
- Tener
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Be Engaged House (BE House)
- Living in a Free Environment House
- Dining
- Findlay/Johnston Commons
- Findlay Dining Commons
- Good 2 Go
- Convenience store for your favorite snacks and necessities
- Roxy's
- Burgers, chicken, fries, and the daily special
- Fresh Express
- Low calorie meals for customers who want to maintain an active lifestyle
- The Big Onion
- Pizza, cheesesteaks, sandwiches, salads, bagels, egg sandwiches, and more
- Sol de Cobre
- Fresh sauces, tortillas, tacos, salads, and more
- Located Near
- Student Comments
- East Halls have a breathless view of Beaver Stadium and their close to the Bryce Jordan Center but it takes 30 minutes to get to class (Unigo).
- East halls are cramped and there is only one bathroom on each floor (Unigo)
- Living in East is the best way to meet other people and make the best out of the dorm-life situation (College Prowler).
- Rumored to be very noisy.
- I love my room in east. Its big, has room for all of my stuff, and then some. The location isn't great, but there is a bus station right at the front of the complex. Plus, it's next to the stadium, the creamery, and the IM building. The rooms may not be as nice as West or south, but they are still nice, sized rooms (College Prowler).
- East halls may not be the roomiest or nicest place to live, but the relationships formed there are forever (College Prowler).
Pollack Halls
- Basics
- 3rd largest residence hall area on campus
- Both female and coed halls
- Some halls reserved exclusively for freshmen
- Double (2-person) rooms
- Exclusive/Additional Amenities
- Pollack Laptop Library
- Residential Computing (ResCom) Office
- Experienced students available to assist with various computer issues.
- Residence Halls
- Beaver
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Hartranft
- Hiester
- Mifflin
- Porter
- Ritner
- Female Only
- Floor Plan
- Special Living Option
- Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) House
- Shulze
- Wolf
- Dining
- Pollock Dining Commons
- Menu
- All you can eat dining
- Plate
- Variety of delicious grill items
- Made-to-order omelets, stir fry station, barbeque, and more
- Leaf
- Healthy choices for lunch and dinner
- Salads, soups, vegetables, grains, made-to-order paninis, create-your-own salad
- Gluten free cakes, rolls, and muffins
- Gusto
- Italian cuisine
- Pasta, pizza, and breadsticks
- Swirl
- Bakery and café
- Hot and cold beverages, pastries, desserts, etc.
- Envy
- Condiment section
- Fresh fruit, salad bar, desserts, etc.
- The Mix
- The Go-to-Convenience store
- Food, beverages, and toiletry items
- Located Near
Residence Apartments and Suites
Eastview Terrace
- Basics
- Houses 806 upperclassman
- Suite-style rooms
- Private Bath
- 8-22 rooms on each floor
- Single-gender and coed halls
- Exclusive/Additional Amenities
- Study/Social Space
- Laundry Facilities
- Residence Halls
- Brill
- Floor Plan
- Located off McKean Road, houses administrative offices and the Eastview Terrace Commons Desk.
- Curry
- Harris
- Miller
- Nelson
- Panofsky
- Young
- Dining
- Redifer Commons
- South Food District
- Food court with
- Coffee shop
- Deli
- And More
- Located Near
- Bryce Jordan Center
- Beaver Stadium
- McCoy Natatorium (swimming pools)
- Tennis courts
- Varsity track and field facility
- Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex (an ice-skating rink)
- Eisenhower Auditorium
- HUB-Robeson Center
- Downtown State College
- CATA bus stops
Nittany Apartments and Suites
- Basics
- Upperclassmen only
- 2 and 4 bedroom apartments
- 4 bedroom townhouses
- Single-gender apartments
- Floor Plans
- 2-Bedroom Garden Apartment
- 4-Bedroom Garden Apartment
- 4-Bedroom Townhouse
- Nittany Hall Suites
- Exclusive/Additional Amenities
- Nittany Community Center
- Information desk
- Administrative Office
- Game Room
- TV Room
- University Laundry Facilities
- Dining
- Pollock Commons
- Pollock Dining Commons
- Just one block away
- Meal Plan is optional for Nittany apartment residents
- Meal Plan is required for Nittany Hall residents
- Located Near
- McCoy Natatorium (swimming pools)
- Tennis courts
- Varsity track and field facility
- Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex (an ice-skating rink)
- Eisenhower Auditorium
- HUB-Robeson Center
White Course Apartments
- Basics
- Unique experience for
- Special activities and programs help residents get to know one another
- 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments and townhouses
- 75 4 bedroom units
- Features
- Get an overview of the utilities, facilities, and recreation areas available to all residents.
- Community Center
- Learn more about the events and activities held in the Community Center
- Rental Process
- Download a housing application and find out about the steps involved in the rental process.
- Family Policy
- Learn who qualifies to live in on-campus apartments.
- Floor Plans
- View floor plans for the different types of apartments.
Amenities
- Each residence is equipped with the fallowing
- TV Cable and Internet Connections
- Single beds and mattresses with twin xl sheets
- Desks and chairs
- Bookshelves
- Chests of drawers
- Bulletin boards
- Trashcan
- Refrigerator/freezer
- Microwave unit
- Draperies
- Closets
- Mirror
- Overhead light
- Smoke detector
- Electronic card Access System
- Penn state and id card required to enter dorm 24 hours
- Laundry Service
- Mail Delivery Service
- Meeting Rooms
- Recreational rooms which can be reserved for organization meetings and social events
- Complimentary Newspapers
- New York Times
- USA Today
- Centre Daily Times
- The Daily Collegian
- Telephone Service
- Bike storage
- Limited number of bike lockers available for rent
- Television
- 1 TV is located in a common room in each residence hall
- Students need to bring their own TV's for their rooms
Source:
"Residence Life Penn State University. 22 December 2011 http://www.sa.psu.edu/rl/
