Residence Halls

a front view of Haines Residence Hall with blue sky and clouds

Living on campus is at the heart of the Occidental experience. More than just a place to stay, Oxy's residential community is where friendships take shape, ideas are exchanged, and students find a sense of belonging.

From your first year through graduation, your housing experience at Occidental evolves with you. Build connections in a residence hall, share an apartment with friends, or participate in a themed-living community. No matter the option, Occidental College housing fosters engagement, independence, and lasting relationships. Thanks to a close-knit campus and a culture of engagement, “home” at Oxy is both an extension of the classroom and a place where community thrives.

Where You’ll Live at Oxy

Chilcott Hall

First-year Halls

New students begin their Oxy experience in one of our first-year residence halls, where living with classmates helps build friendships, spark connections, and create a strong sense of community. Before arriving on campus, incoming students complete the housing application, where you'll share your living preferences. REHS uses this information to match roommates and assign housing, helping create a positive living experience as you transition to college life.

Video Tour
Erdman Hall

Upper-division Halls

Over your four years at Oxy, your housing options expand to offer greater independence, flexibility, and opportunities to live with friends. Whether you choose a residence hall, suite, apartment, or themed living community, upper-division housing supports your growing independence while keeping you connected to campus life, academic resources, and the relationships that define the Oxy experience.

A group of Oxy students lined up on three benches facing each other on the Quad

Themed Living Communities

Themed Living Communities (TLCs) bring together students with shared interests, identities, or experiences to create intentional residential communities centered on learning, connection, and belonging. TLCs provide opportunities to engage in conversations, programs, and activities that extend beyond the classroom while fostering meaningful relationships with peers.

Themed Living Communities

Explore Oxy’s Residence Halls

Residence Hall Cooling

All of Oxy’s residence halls offer air conditioning in common areas such as lounges. All first-year residence halls are equipped with A/C in individual student rooms. Some of our classic upper-division residence halls do not have A/C in individual rooms. Some of our classic upper-division residence halls have A/C not in individual rooms, but in shared suite lounges, for example.

Residence Hall Tours

Join Oxy students and take a tour of four residence halls to see the range of spaces and communities students can find on our residential campus.

  • Bell-Young Hall is a first-year hall built in 1956. Home of Women's Scholars TLC.

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  • Berkus Hall is an upper-division hall built in 2008. Students live in singles, doubles, and triples with private bathrooms. Home of Black Soul Collective, Latinx Culture Collective and APIDA TLCs.

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  • Braun Hall is a first-year and upper-division hall built in 1962. Students live in double rooms.

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  • Newcomb Hall is an upper-division hall built in 1956. Students live in double rooms.

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  • Chilcott Hall is a first-year hall built in 1959. Students live in double rooms.

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  • Erdman Hall is an upper-division hall built in 1927. Students live in single and double rooms. Home of Substance Free TLC.

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  • Berkus House is a first-year and upper-division hall. It features single, double, and quad rooms.

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  • Haines Hall is an upper-division hall built in 1940. Students live in single and double rooms. Home of Rivera & Johnson (LGBTQIA+) TLC.

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  • E. Norris Hall is an upper-division hall built in 1966 with double rooms.

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  • Pauley Hall is a first-year and upper-division hall built in 1959 where students live in single and double rooms.

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  • Stearns Hall is an upper-division hall built in 1983. Students live in single and double rooms.

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  • Stewart-Cleland Hall, known commonly as Stewie Hall, is a first-year hall built in 1953. Students live in single and double rooms.

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  • Wylie Hall is a first-year and upper-division hall built in 1940. Students live in single and double rooms.

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  • Food Justice House Themed Living Community is home to upper-division students. The community maintains a garden and focuses on socially and environmentally conscious practices.

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  • Baldwin House accommodates ten students who live in single and double rooms.

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Photos by Marc Campos

More to Explore

A group of Occidental College staff and students looking at the solar eclipse through a telescope, shot from above
Student life
Vidiots reopened for business in June 2023 at the former home of the Eagle Theatre,
The neighborhood
Oxy students on campus with their bikes
Transportation

What Students Are Asking About Housing

Occidental College dorms are designed to offer a welcoming, close-knit community. First-year students live in halls that support the transition to college through shared experiences, community programming, and resident support, while upper-division students have access to a variety of living options that offer greater independence. Residence halls include common lounges, study and gathering spaces, laundry facilities, and furnished rooms, creating comfortable spaces to connect with classmates and feel at home.

Occidental offers a range of on-campus housing options designed to support students throughout their college experience. First-year students typically live in traditional residence halls that foster community and connection, while upper-division students can choose from residence halls, suites, apartments, and themed living communities. As students progress through their time at Oxy, housing options provide greater flexibility and independence while keeping them connected to campus life.

The housing selection process varies by class year. Incoming students complete a housing application before arriving on campus, providing information about their living preferences to help inform roommate matching and housing assignments. Returning students participate in an annual housing selection process, where eligibility, class year, and other factors determine available housing options. 

Occidental College offers reasonable housing accommodations to qualifying students with disabilities to support their full participation in campus housing. Requests must be supported by clear documentation from a qualified professional showing a severe or chronic disabling condition that directly affects housing needs. Learn more at the Disability Services Office website.

Occidental requires students to live on campus during their first three years, with a limited number of approved exceptions. While seniors are not required to live on campus, many choose to remain in college housing to stay connected to campus life, friends, and the residential community.

For first-years, there are photos and a video on the First-Year Experience webpage in addition to details about room dimensions. There are also photos of upper-division halls. 

All items provided to students in their residential space can be found on the What to Bring webpage. The page also contains a handy list of items to bring with you.

All of Oxy’s residence halls offer air conditioning in common areas such as lounges. All first-year residence halls are equipped with A/C in individual student rooms. Some of our classic upper-division residence halls have A/C not in individual rooms, but in shared quad lounges, for example.

Contact Residential Education & Housing Services
Berkus Hall

Office hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Phone: (323) 259-2531
resed@oxy.edu