300 Swift Apartments
Duke University Housing and Residence Life (HRL) will offer housing for Graduate and Professional Students during the 2024–2025 academic year in two locations: 301 Swift Apartments and Lancaster Commons Apartments.
Lancaster Commons off-campus apartment complex offers unfurnished 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments.
Apartment Rates
Assignment rates for the 2024-2025 academic year include all utilities (electricity, water, internet, trash/recycling).
There is no application fee or security deposit.
Payments will be billed to students’ bursar accounts on a semesterly basis. The Bursar's office has an option for monthly billing (see information about that here). PhD students who receive a monthly stipend can have their rent deducted from their stipend each month.
Lancaster Commons
*6-Month Rate: $8,100 (**Monthly Rate $1,350)
*6-month rate is for fall (July 1 - December 31) and spring (January 1 - June 30).
If you move in after July 1 and prior to August 1, the rate will lower based upon your move-in date. If you move in after August 1, you will be billed for August 1 - December 31 regardless of your move-in date.
**Monthly rate is for budgeting purposes ONLY. Charges will be billed to your student account 6-months at a time.
- PhD students will not receive monthly bills with their housing charges, but charges will be reflected in their Bursar's accounts. PhD students can set up payroll deduction or NelNet.
- Master's students will receive monthly bills via email to their Duke email address. Master's students can also set up monthly payments via NelNet.
- A fee will be charged for late payments (1.25% of the outstanding balance).
- Unpaid bills will result in a hold being placed on students' bursar accounts, preventing students from registering for classes for the next term.
*6-Month Rate: $5,184 (**Monthly Rate $864)
*6-month rate is for fall (July 1 - December 31) and spring (January 1 - June 30).
If you move in after July 1 and prior to August 1, the rate will lower based upon your move-in date. If you move in after August 1, you will be billed for August 1 - December 31 regardless of your move-in date.
**Monthly rate is for budgeting purposes ONLY. Charges will be billed to your student account 6-months at a time.
- PhD students will not receive monthly bills with their housing charges, but charges will be reflected in their Bursar's accounts. PhD students can set up payroll deduction or NelNet.
- Master's students will receive monthly bills via email to their Duke email address. Master's students can also set up monthly payments via NelNet.
- A fee will be charged for late payments (1.25% of the outstanding balance).
- Unpaid bills will result in a hold being placed on students' bursar accounts, preventing students from registering for classes for the next term.
*6-Month Rate: $3,888 (**Monthly Rate $648)
*6-month rate is for fall (July 1 - December 31) and spring (January 1 - June 30).
If you move in after July 1 and prior to August 1, the rate will lower based upon your move-in date. If you move in after August 1, you will be billed for August 1 - December 31 regardless of your move-in date.
**Monthly rate is for budgeting purposes ONLY. Charges will be billed to your student account 6-months at a time.
- PhD students will not receive monthly bills with their housing charges, but charges will be reflected in their Bursar's accounts. PhD students can set up payroll deduction or NelNet.
- Master's students will receive monthly bills via email to their Duke email address. Master's students can also set up monthly payments via NelNet.
- A fee will be charged for late payments (1.25% of the outstanding balance).
- Unpaid bills will result in a hold being placed on students' bursar accounts, preventing students from registering for classes for the next term.
Lancaster Commons features unfurnished 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units. Please note: There are very few 3-bedroom units available.
- Appliances included in the apartment:
- stove
- oven
- refrigerator
- dishwasher
- microwave
- washer/dryer
- Complimentary parking on site
- Duke Transportation bus route direct to West Campus. Also within the Duke Vans service area.
- Elevators:
- Present at all buildings in Lancaster North (2703, 2705, 2707, 2711, 2713).
- NOT available in Lancaster South (2721, 2723, 2725, 2727), which houses only 1-bedroom apartments.
Pets are not allowed at Lancaster Commons, except for registered service animals.
You can view photos and floor plans of the apartments on this website. Please note: that you will NOT be able to select which floor plan you'd like in the application.
-DO need a Unique ID to apply. The Duke Unique ID is a unique, 7-digit number assigned to individuals affiliated with Duke University. You should receive it once you are fully admitted and matriculated into Duke. This may take a few days after accepting your admission.
-DO need to sign License and Terms for 1 year. By agreeing to the License, you are bound to on-campus housing for the entire length of the License (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025). Release from your License is granted only if you are no longer an active student at Duke. Please review the 2024-2025 License, Terms, and Addendum before submitting an application.
-DO have access to bus services to and from campus: There is a campus bus that picks up from Lancaster Commons. Information about campus bus routes can be found at the Parking and Transportation website.
-DO have access to Lancaster Commons Gym. Students are able to access the Lancaster Commons gym, which is located on the 1st floor in Lancaster Commons North. Be sure to check the Lancaster Commons front office for operating hours, as they may vary.
-DO have the opportunity to note a preferred roommate on the application. If you do have a preferred roommate, you will be able to indicate their name and Unique ID in the preferred roommate field on your housing application.
Before matching the following must happen:
- Both roommates must be enrolled at Duke University.
- Both roommates must have completed a housing application.
- The request must be mutual. Both roommates must request each other on their individual applications.
-DO NOT need a meal plan to live at Lancaster Commons. If you are interested in purchasing a plan, please visit the Duke Dining Website for more information.
-DO need a parking permit to park at Lancaster Commons. If you do plan to drive to main campus, you will need to purchase a Duke campus parking permit with the Duke Parking and Transportation Services.
-DO NOT need to vacate their living space during Winter Break. Graduate and professional students who are living at 301 Swift for the full academic year will be able to remain in their apartment over Winter Break.
-DO NOT pay for utilities in an individual bill. They are included in the rate.
-DO NOT choose their own apartment. Our office manages assigning students to their living space. You are not guaranteed any specific apartment.
-DO NOT have the option to live in on-campus housing after 1 year. On-campus housing for graduate students is only offered for one year. There will NOT be an option to live in on-campus housing beyond June 30, 2025.
Lancaster Photos
What If...
Assignment priority will be given to 1st time graduate professional students on student visa status AND staying for an entire year.
Once we have offered all available spaces to students who qualify, any available spaces will then be offered to students who have requested 1 semester.
Graduate and Professional Students are not required to select a meal plan while living on campus. Duke Dining does offer several options for apartment students and off-campus students. More information about meal plans can be found on the Duke Dining website.
If you have a partner or spouse who is not a Duke student, you will need to note it on your application. Once you apply, please reach out to housing@duke.edu to inform our office that you are applying with a partner or spouse on your application.
Students will be charged for the occupancy of all apartment spaces if assigned with a partner, family, or spouse.
Please email housing@duke.edu to request a proof of residency for your current assignment. You will not be able to receive proof of residency until you have officially moved into your assignment.
Please note: You will not be able to receive a proof of residency for a partner, spouse, or family member living with you in your space.
Please send packages using the address setup below. This information will be visible in your Housing Portal.
There is a mailbox on site so you will not need to go onto main campus to retrieve packages.
An assignment will only be cancelled when a student becomes ineligible for University housing or is no longer active at Duke.
Refunds will be calculated based on the dates of occupancy of the assigned space.
When offered an assignment, students will be given a deadline by which to accept. If the assignment is not accepted by the deadline, it will be cancelled.
Once a student accepts a housing assignment, the student may not cancel their assignment.
If you feel like you need a housing accommodation based on medical, psychological, or disability-related conditions, please review our special housing accommodations process and contact the Student Disability Access Office (SDAO) at sdao@duke.edu or by phone at (919) 668-1329.
Lancaster Commons staff are available to meet student needs. Students can submit maintenance concerns to the Lancaster Commons Front Office. They can be reached at
The residence life staff promote opportunities for students to connect with others and develop a strong and enduring sense of belonging; and intentionally provide opportunities for students to grow and develop, especially as they wrestle with issues of identity, autonomy, and responsibility.
You can reach out to your Residence Coordinator with any questions or concerns. Contact information should be sent to you prior to move in.
HRL programs are rooted in the concepts of mutual respect and civility and recognize and celebrate the dignity and self-worth of all members.
If you do not have a preferred roommate, we will use your lifestyle preferences noted on your application to assign a random roommate to the other spaces in the apartment.
Other Information
Transportation:
Lancaster distance from:
- Harris Teeter - 0.7 mile
- Whole Foods - 0.3 mile
- Duham Co-Op Market - 0.9 mile
- Compare Foods - 2.1 miles
- Food Lion - 1.4 miles
- Dollar General - 0.6 mile
- Wells Fargo - 0.5 mile
- FedEx Shipping - 0.4 mile
- UPS Shipping - 0.6 mile
- Nasher Museum - 0.6 mile
- Duke Graduate School - 0.8 mile
- Duke West Campus - 0.5 mile
- Duke East Campus - 0.6 mile