Columbia Residential manages 150 apartment buildings, with most units located in the Morningside Heights, Manhattan Valley and Manhattanville neighborhoods, between 103rd Street and 125th Street. University housing is also located in Riverdale, the Bronx, 20 minutes from campus by shuttle bus.
For more information about Residential buildings including the building address, staff, amenities, and fire safety plan, visit Explore Residences.
Students are eligible for all of the types of accommodations in the tabs below. Student housing consists of dormitory suite style housing and shared apartments, as well as a limited number of studio and one-bedroom units which are prioritized for couples and families. A very limited number of larger units are available for students with children.
For more information about housing approvals and selection, please review FAQ | Student Housing Selection.
All residents should review the student housing policies for more information. Pets are strictly prohibited. Eligible couples or families must abide by couple and family housing policies.
Apartment Share
Most students are housed in apartment shares. Residents are responsible for cleaning of common areas and their own (private or shared) rooms. Apartment shares are used to house single students only. Most apartment shares are furnished and include the cost of gas and electricity.
Spouses or partners, family members and friends are strictly prohibited from sharing these accommodations with student residents. Pets are strictly prohibited. All residents are expected to abide by University and Columbia Residential Policies.
Apartment share housing is available in Morningside Heights, Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville, and at The Arbor (built in 2008), located via a short bus, subway, or shuttle ride from campus in Riverdale, the Bronx. For more information about Residential buildings, please review Explore Residential Buildings.
Studio
Studio units are very limited in number and demand greatly exceeds availability. Typically, these are one-room units with a private bathroom and kitchen appliances. Couples or single students may live in studios, but couples are given priority. Most of these units are unfurnished and charges for utilities are generally included in the rent.
Eligible couples or families must abide by couple and family housing policies. Please review resident policies for more information.
For more information about Residential buildings, please review Explore Residential Buildings.
One-Bedroom
One-bedroom apartments are very limited in number and the demand greatly exceeds availability. These apartments have a living room, kitchen facilities, a separate bedroom and a bathroom. They vary in size and most are unfurnished. Utilities are generally included in the rent.
Couples and students with children are given priority in assignment of one-bedroom apartments and must abide by couple and family housing policies.
For more information about Residential buildings, please review Explore Residential Buildings.
Two-Bedroom
There are a small number of larger units that are suitable for families with children. Only students with dependent children may live in one of these apartments. Most of these units are unfurnished. Utilities are generally included in the rent.
Eligible families must abide by couple and family housing policies. Please review resident policies for more information.
For more information about Residential buildings, please review Explore Residential Buildings.
School Specific
Some housing is offered only to students in specific schools.
A number of buildings are available only to Columbia Law School students.
New Residence Hall at Teachers College is available to students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and in the School of General Studies. For students in the School of General Studies, dormitory rooms and studio apartments are also available at Union Theological Seminary, along with apartments in three buildings in Manhattan Valley.
For more information about Residential buildings, please review Explore Residential Buildings.
Lenfest Hall is located on West 121st Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Morningside Drive. This luxury, high-rise building contains 181 furnished studio/efficiency units and 28 one-bedroom units. Lenfest's amenities include 24-hour security, public study rooms with WIFI, a bamboo garden and a card-operated laundry room. Utilities are included. All units are furnished with space-saving furniture that is able to accommodate a variety of arrangements and functions.
Residents of Lenfest Hall must contact Columbia University Information Technology at (212) 854-1919 for more information on obtaining cable TV service.
The University owns a number of furnished and unfurnished apartments in Lionsgate, a high rise building at 520 West 112th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway. Lionsgate has 24-hour security and has studio/efficiency, one bedroom and two-bedroom units available. Some of these units may be available to students with children. Residents should refer to Lionsgate Move In/Move Out Guidelines (PDF).
The Law School owns a number of apartments in Morningside Gardens, a residential cooperative apartment complex with multiple buildings and over 900 units. Private apartments are available for eligible Law students at 501 West 123rd Street and 549 West 123rd Street, and shared apartments are available at 100 La Salle Street.
Columbia Residential has made special arrangements with Teachers College to lease a limited number of efficiency units at their New Residence Hall, located at 517 West 121st Street. These are only available to students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the School of General Studies.
These units each have a private bathroom. The smaller units, which average 200 square feet, share common kitchens distributed throughout the building and are equipped with a small refrigerator. The larger units average 250 square-feet and have a private kitchenette. All units are furnished with a bed (extra-long twin in the smaller units, full in the larger units), desk, desk chair, table and chair, floor lamp, chest of drawers and closet/wardrobe.
Although categorized as "efficiency units," this housing is not available to couples or families. Subletting is prohibited.
Columbia students residing in the New Residence Hall agree to the rules, policies and regulations contained in The Guide to Campus Living at Teachers College.
A number of furnished apartment shares and a smaller number of efficiency units are available to eligible students in the School of General Studies, upon approval by the school. These units are located in the Manhattan Valley neighborhood – 61-63 West 108th Street and 950 Columbus Avenue – which are leased to the University by a third-party landlord.
Private dorm rooms are also available at the Fairholm (503 West 121st Street), New Residence Hall (517 West 121st Street), 600 West 113th Street, and 3041 Broadway (Hastings Hall at Union Theological Seminary). Although categorized as "efficiency units," studios at 517 West 121st Street and 3041 Broadway are not available to couples or families. Subletting is prohibited at 3041 Broadway and 517 West 121st Street.
Apartment shares, couple and family housing are also available at The Arbor (3260 Henry Hudson Parkway), located a short shuttle ride away in Riverdale, Bronx. All apartments at the Arbor have in-unit washers and dryers, dishwashers and central heat and air. Apartment shares with both private and shared bedrooms are available.
The Fairholm and GS spaces in Hastings Hall house General Studies students only, while 600 West 113th Street house General Studies students along with Columbia College and Engineering undergraduates. These rooms are furnished and utilities (except cable television) are included. Students share kitchens, bathrooms and all common areas. Porter service provides basic cleaning services for kitchens, bathrooms and common areas. A limited number of studio apartments are also available at Hastings Hall.
General Studies students who live in dorms have private bedrooms in a dormitory-style suite, where they share a kitchen, bathroom and lounge with their suitemates. Most floors and suites are gender neutral.