There are multiple options for living on campus. Here are some that are the most traditionally geared toward new students. 

Richardson Court is home to Maple-Willow-Larch, Birch-Welch-Roberts, Oak-Elm, Barton, Lyon, Freeman and Linden. Richardson Court are the residence halls on the east side of campus, closest to Lied Recreational Center. 

Oak is an all female dorm with no air conditioning, but has wood and tile floors. There is also the Conversations dining center located in the basement of the dormitory.

Elm is also an all female dormitory, connected to Oak. It also has no air conditioning and wood and tile floors.

Linden is named after the Linden Tree or as it is called in Britain, the Lime Tree. Linden does not have air conditioning and has coed floors.

Birch is an all male dormitory where beds are lofted and each room has tile floors, but no air conditioning. 

Welch was named after Mary Beaumont Welch who was a former organizer and professor of Domestic economy. Welch is an all male dormitory.

Roberts is named after Maria M. Roberts, a former Dean of Students and mathematics professor. Roberts is also an all male dormitory with tile floors and lofted beds.

Maple has air conditioning in each room, lofted beds and carpeted floors. The floors alternate between male and females, rooms are doubles or a three-person suite, and Maple offers learning communities. MWL are the huge multiple floor residence halls that you will see driving into campus.

Willow has coed, male and female floors. There are tile floors, air conditioning and non-lofted beds in each room. The Willow floors are named for the Army ROTC.

Larch offers learning communities opportunities. Each floor is coed, with double rooms, and un-lofted beds. The floors of Larch are named for the Air Force ROTC.

Freeman was named for Alice Freeman Palmer who helped the college become more rounded in the Liberal Arts. There are male and coed floors, tile and lofted beds. You can choose between single and a double room.

Barton is named after Clarissa Harlow Barton, who was the founder of the Red Cross. It is a coed dormitory that is not air conditioned.

Lyon is known as the honors residence hall. It was named for Mary Mason Lyon who opened the first women’s college. There is honors housing, coed floors, single and double rooms, lofted beds and no air conditioning.

Union Drive is home to Eaton, Martin, Friley and Helser. It’s somewhat more centrally located, being located across from Enrollment Services and next to the new State Gym.

Eaton is named for Iowa State’s 12th president, Gordon P. Eaton. It is is one of two halls offering suite style living, also including air conditioning, lofted beds and carpet. It is home to learning communities for Women in Science and Engineering and Food and Human Nutrition. Eaton is also a substance free hall, with male, female and coed floors.

Martin is named for Archie and Nancy Martin who housed black students in the 1930s and 1940s, Martin is the other suite style living option on campus. It includes an honors floor, and Women in Science and Engineering learning communities. Like Eaton, it has male, female and coed floors.

Friley is named for Charles E. Friley, Iowa State’s 11th president. Friley is known for being one of the largest residence halls in the nation. Divided into upper and lower Friley, it is home to seven learning communities, and includes coed, male and female floors. There are single, double and triple rooms, some are air conditioned and some are not. There are tile floors un-lofted metal frame beds. 

Helser is named for Maurice Helser who started the meats laboratory in 1918 at Iowa State, Helser has male and female floors, un-lofted beds, tile floors, and no air conditioning.

Towers residence halls are open to all students 19 and older. Wallace and Wilson are two of four original towers that remain, while Buchanan is newer and closer to campus.

Buchanan is located across the street from the Memorial Union and close to Campustown. There are options of single or double rooms that share a bathroom with another person, and there are carpeted floors and lofted beds. A meal plan is required in Buchanan.

Wallace meal plans are not required, but there is a dining center near by. Wallace has super single rooms on coed or male floors, carpet floors, and un-lofted beds, with no air conditioning.

Wilson meal plans are not required. Wilson has super single rooms, coed, male and female floors, carpeted floors, with un-lofted beds and no air conditioning. Located at the end of Welch Avenue, which is a short walk to Campustown.