Ready to apply?
Submit your housing applications via our housing portal, but first, review policies and procedures below.
Housing Exceptions
Housing and Residence Life is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive living and learning environment for all residential students. Our priority will always be the safety and support of students. Housing & Residence Life will continue to work directly and intentionally with students, the Office for Institutional Equity, the Student Disability Access Office and other offices engaged in supporting students to ensure they receive individualized consideration.
General Information
The rates shown below are per student.
Single Room
Semester: $7,638
Academic Year: $15,276
Double Room
Semester: $5,780
Academic Year: $11,560
Apartment Private Bedroom:
Semester: $9,495
Academic Year: $18,990
Apartment Shared Bedroom:
Semester: $7,638
Academic Year: $15,276
All undergraduate students are expected to occupy their room or apartment according to the schedule outlined below. Students with exceptions are approved by the Housing Assignments Office. Students arriving early or staying after the outlined dates may be charged additional
*All housing process timelines are tentative and may be changed at the discretion of the Housing Assignments Office.
First-Year Students: Move in - August 15th
Upperclass Students: Move in - August 21st-23rd
Winter Break - Noon on December 15th - January 2nd.
Move Out - May 3rd - Residence halls and apartments close for spring semester. Students approved to stay may remain in residence until May 10th at noon.
Final Move Out - Noon on May 10th.
Bassett + Pegram: Craven
Giles + Wilson: Crowell
Belltower + Trinity: Edens
Gilbert-Addoms + Southgate: Few
Blackwell + Randolph: Keohane
Alspaugh + Brown: Kilgo
East House + West House: Wannamaker
Duke University is not liable for damage or loss of personal property kept in the resident’s assigned space or in other areas of University housing. Because the University does not provide property insurance, residents are encouraged to secure their own personal property insurance.
All Duke students should consider purchasing renters insurance to protect their personal property in the event that it is damaged, destroyed or stolen. Even if a student is a dependent under his or her parent's insurance, the student's personal property, may not be covered.
Talk with your parents. They should check their policy or contact their insurance agent to see what coverage you have and if renters insurance is right for you while away at school.
Housing and Residence Life (HRL) works in conjunction with the Student Disability Access Office (SDAO) to ensure consistency in evaluating special housing accommodation requests. The Student Disability Access Office reviews requests and shares approved student accommodations with HRL. Students with approved accommodations will be offered priority for placement in an available space that meets their accommodations.
Students who wish to be considered for reasonable accommodations must submit current documentation (i.e., medical/educational/diagnostic reports) from licensed physicians, psychologists, or other qualified professionals as well as supporting historical records and materials. For the purpose of receiving consideration for reasonable accommodations at Duke University, an individual must have an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Information regarding the process to request an accommodation can be found on the Student Disability and Access Office website.
Housing and Residence Life is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals of sexual misconduct. HRL will work with campus resources (Gender Violence Prevention & Intervention and the Office of Institutional Equity) and students to ensure appropriate housing options.
Housing exceptions may involve moving an individual between Duke residential areas. Housing exceptions are done on a case-by-case basis. Not all incidents will result in a move, however, if the living situation is creating a hostile environment, every effort will be made to assist with reassigning students to a similar housing situation on campus. Students should contact the Gender Violence Prevention & Intervention and the Office of Institutional Equity for assistance.
Housing and Residence Life will make good faith efforts to meet a student’s sincerely held faith practices or beliefs that conflict with a Housing and Residence Life policy, procedure, or other requirement. For specific housing assignment exceptions, students may submit a request for a faith-based/religious housing exception.
Faith-based / Religious exceptions are not guaranteed but will be allowed as space permits.
Please note: Requesting exceptions for religious purposes is separate from the disability accommodations process. If you are seeking housing exceptions for religious purposes and accommodations for medical conditions or disabilities, please also follow the process for requesting SDAO housing accommodations.
Duke also offers alternative move-in days for students who, for religious reasons, do not want to move in on either Saturday or Sunday or for whom the arrangements do not enable them to comply with their religious obligations. Students will not be penalized financially for not moving in on "move-in day" should the day/time conflict with observance of a religious holiday.
For students requesting items inside a residence hall be modified for religious observance (motion sensors, Shabbat entry) please submit a Maintenance Request and Housing and Residence Life will do our best to support all requests.
Students participating in housing processes which conflict with religious observances may contact the Housing Assignments Office for options on how to navigate. Housing Assignments my offer proxy options for room selection processes.
Assignment Policies
The forfeiture of housing eligibility occurs when a student is withdrawn from the University or is academically dismissed.
HRL will cancel housing assignments based on attrition information from the deans or program participation information from the Office of Study Abroad. The student will become eligible for housing when they are readmitted as a full-time degree seeking student.
- Room Selection: Students who are not yet confirmed to be returning for the Fall semester may participate in room selection for Fall. If you are not an active student by July, your housing assignment will be cancelled and all associated rent and fees will be credited to your Bursar account.
- Spring Housing: Students must be confirmed to be returning in order to request and receive a Spring housing assignment.
Full-Time Student Status
Full-time undergraduate students who have lived on-campus for under eight semesters are eligible for housing. Students entering their ninth or greater semester may request housing, but will only be assigned if space is available after assigning students covered by the four-year housing guarantee.
North Carolina State Law (General Statutes §130A 152–157) requires that all students entering college present a certificate of immunization that documents that the student has received all immunizations required by law. While your state or country of origin may have different immunization requirements, you must comply with North Carolina laws and Duke requirements. More information can be found at the Student Health, Immunization Compliance website.
Duke is committed to encouraging and sustaining a learning and work community that is free from prohibited discrimination and harassment. The institution prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid, employment, or any other institution program or activity. It admits qualified students to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students.
All gender housing refers to individual rooms or suites where the gender of the roommates is not taken into consideration when the room is assigned through the assignment process. All gender housing is located across East and the Upperclass Campuses. While this is intended to support students who identify as LGBTQIA, this is available to all students who feel they would be more comfortable in a all gender room/suite or feel they could provide a safe and inclusive space for another student regardless of gender identity/expression, sexual/romantic orientation, or any other factor.
West Campus students are able to select a housing space with any continuing student - regardless of that student’s gender identity. The majority of space within each Quad will have bedrooms where roommates may share similar gender identities and live on floors where the students next door may not share their gender identity. Each building will have gender non-specific and gender-specific restrooms.
If you have questions or need support in navigating these housing options, please feel free to connect with the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (csgd@duke.edu) or Housing Assignments (housing@duke.edu).
All students are required—to the extent that housing is available—to live on campus for their first three years. We will continue to apply semesters spent in “study away” programs toward the three-year residency requirement. Students are guaranteed the opportunity to live on campus during their fourth year. (See note below.)
Students may choose to live off campus at the completion of their third year. Students who wish to live off campus must notify Housing and Residence Life (HRL) in writing of their plans by the published deadlines. Students choosing to live off campus should be aware that they will be subject to all city ordinances, particularly those related to occupancy, noise, parking, and litter.
Active students still bound by the three-year requirement who do not have an on-campus housing assignment will be contacted to make arrangements for an assignment. Students will be charged for the room size to which they are assigned. Students who do not follow through on an assignment request will be charged for the room size most commonly occupied by members of their class year.
Note: Our long-term goal is to provide on-campus housing for all students during their first three years and for any senior who wishes to remain on campus. However, new construction and renovations may result in a temporary shortfall in housing availability. In some cases we may hold an off-campus lottery, resulting in some juniors as well as some seniors living off campus. In addition, during the new construction and renovation process the university may temporarily suspend the four-year housing guarantee for seniors. We look forward ultimately to providing housing to any seniors who wish to remain on campus.
Students returning to Duke after a leave of absence of any kind remain subject to the Board of Trustees policy requiring all Duke undergraduate students to live in university housing for three academic years (Six semesters) as a Duke student. Resident students who take a leave of absence for personal reasons may return as residents provided they follow the HRL procedures and deadlines. Duke guarantees housing to all of its full-time undergraduate students, save those who are not eligible due to disciplinary sanctions.
You may contact housing regarding your residency while your return application is under review. Students without a housing assignment will be required to apply and will be assigned once they have been approved for return. Students with a housing assignment, who are separated from the University, will have their housing cancelled and will be required to reapply once approved for return.
Students returning to Duke from a leave of absence (and who are subject to the residency requirement noted above) who fail to request housing will receive an assignment and be financially responsible for the term of the assignment.
Housing and Residence Life (HRL) works in conjunction with the Student Disability Access Office (SDAO) to ensure consistency in evaluating special housing accommodation requests. The Student Disability and Access Office reviews requests and shares approved student accommodations with HRL. Students with approved accommodations will be offered priority for placement in an available space that meets their accommodations.
Students who wish to be considered for reasonable accommodations must submit current documentation (i.e., medical/educational/diagnostic reports) from licensed physicians, psychologists, or other qualified professionals as well as supporting historical records and materials. For the purpose of receiving consideration for reasonable accommodations at Duke University, an individual must have an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Information regarding the process to request an accommodation can be found on the Student Disability and Access Office website
Students returning to Duke after a separation of any kind should work with the Time Away Office to manage their return process. You may contact housing assignments regarding your residency status while your Time Away Return Form is under review.
- Students without a housing assignment will be required to apply and are assigned once approved for return.
- Students with a housing assignment, who take time-off from the University, can decline housing and apply once approved for return.
Need more help?
Telephone: 919-684-4304
Email: housing@duke.edu
Schedule an appointment with a Housing Assignments staff member here. Times available are Monday thru Friday between 9 am and 4 pm.
Reassignment During Semesters
There is a room freeze period in place for the first few weeks of the semester. After September 10th, please reach out to your Residence Coordinator or Assistance Residence Coordinator directly for more information about how to request reassignment.
The Housing Assignments office works with Residence Life staff to determine housing reassignments for students. Students should communicate with their Residence Coordinator (RC) about the need for reassignment.
Winter Break Housing
Winter Break housing information will be posted in November.
Housing and Residence Life provides limited opportunities for Winter Break housing between the fall and spring semesters. HRL will charge a flat fee no matter the length of their stay . All students approved to stay on campus during Winter Break will stay in their current fall assignment.
NOTE: Graduate Professional students living in 300 Swift and Lancaster Commons may stay in their assignment over Winter Break, and do not need to submit an application.
Limited dining options will be available during the winter break. Duke Dining will post these options later in the fall semester.
- To be eligible to stay during Winter Break, students must:
- have a Fall 2026 AND Spring 2027 housing assignment
- submit an application during the designated timeline
- agree to the Winter Break Housing Terms and Conditions