Living on Campus: The Best Colleges with Residential College Systems

Introduction

When looking at colleges, it is hard to know what will work out best for you. Small colleges with fewer people lead to more help from teachers and closer relationships with more people. Large colleges with parties, friends everywhere, and the true college dream we think about as kids. But have you ever thought about a cross between the two? Having those close connections and help academically mixed with the parties and knowing one person from each friend group? 

If this sounds like it is meant for you, maybe a residential college is for you. 

What is a Residential College?

A residential college is “a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting.” This includes shared meals, a dorm with some academic programming, and extended academic programs for adults. This would ultimately get you that small college/large college experience. Usually, they are offered to specific majors, all depending on the college you attend.

Dorms vs Residential Colleges

 At the end of the day, there is not much difference between dorms and residential colleges. 

The biggest difference is the amenities. Residential colleges offer special tutors/advisors, fellows, and special classes you can take for credits. In a dorm, you live there for the school year with everything being on campus. With a residential college, you still live on campus but the feel of it is totally different, almost like a separate branch of the university. You are still given the same opportunities as those in dorms with things like events, stores, etc. 

Colleges that Offer Residential Colleges

To help you easily explore the residential colleges at each university on the list below, we've compiled direct links for quick access:

• Binghamton University
• Cornell University
• Dartmouth College
• Fairfield University
• Fordham University
• Franklin & Marshall College
• Harvard University
• Princeton University
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Yale University
• Central Michigan University
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Michigan State University
• Northwestern University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Appalachian State University
• Baylor University
• University of Georgia
• Louisiana State University
• Murray State University
• University of Miami
• University of Mississippi
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Oklahoma
• University of South Carolina
• Southern Arkansas University
• Tulane University
• University of Virginia
• Vanderbilt University
• Virginia Tech
• Rice University
• University of Central Arkansas
• University of California, San Diego
• University of California, Santa Cruz
• University of California, Berkeley
• Stanford University

Check out Kollegio to find out the admission requirements for all these colleges.

Conclusion

When applying for college, making sure you pick the perfect campus for you is extremely important. Knowing you are going to be comfortable in your home away from home is a must. With this list, looking further into what each of these colleges offer could help shape your college future to make it the experience best fit for you. 

Using Kollegio, knowing about these colleges/universities is easier than ever. By going to the ‘Colleges’ tab, you can put in your information to match you with the perfect college or put it in the search bar to find it immediately. Knowing what college offers the residential college will allow for a quick, easy search. When clicking on the specific college, you can look at all the in-depth statistics about campus life and an overview of the school. 

Kollegio's College Filter Tool

To research further, you can easily look up “ [Insert college/university] residential college” and find what is right for you.

By Gianna Cook