CU Boulder is an amazing place: A world-class institution nestled in one of America’s most idyllic and high-energy college towns. If you’re headed there in the fall, consider yourself fortunate.
To get the most out of your first year at CU-Boulder, you need to get placed in the right dorm. And the right dorm for you might not be right for someone else. That said, according to most students on campus, the best dorms at CU Boulder are the ones clustered around Farrand Field, in particular Baker, Cheyenne Arapaho, and Farrand. But depending on your personality and living preferences, you might be happier away from Central Campus in Williams Village or in one of the Kittredge dorms.
How do you know which of these options is best for you? Consider your living style and personality. Are you introverted or extroverted? Do you want to be as close as possible to your classes and the dining hall, or do long walks not bother you (even on those frigid winter mornings in Boulder)? Do you want the nicest room you can get, or does the social atmosphere of your dorm matter more to you?
Then read about the best dorms at CU Boulder below and think about which one would feel like home.
Table of Contents
- Baker Hall
- Cheyenne Arapaho Hall
- Farrand Hall
- Libby Hall
- Williams Village
- Smith Hall
- Andrews Hall
- Sewall Hall
- What Do the Best Dorms at CU Boulder Cost?
- The Bottom Line on the Best Dorms at CU Boulder
Baker Hall
- Community: Central Campus
- Room style: Mostly doubles with some singles and multiple-occupancy rooms
- Bathroom style: Hall
- Sink in room: No
- Air Conditioning: Yes
- Carpet in room: No
- Elevators: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
Baker Hall is the nicest traditional dorm on campus in terms of amenities and also has one of the best locations. This puts it at number one on our list of the best dorms at CU Boulder. If you snag a spot in Baker, you’ll enjoy air conditioning, new renovations, larger-than-average rooms, and plush common spaces.
The other big advantage of Baker is its location. You’re close to pretty much everything, especially your classes with the possible exception of those in Hale or Eaton. But even then, the walk won’t exactly put holes in your soles. Baker is right next to Ferrand Field, one of the best places on campus to relax, throw a frisbee, have an impromptu touch football game, meet friends, and make new ones. You’re also a short walk from three dining halls.
How to get in: If you like science or are passionate about the environment, sign up for the Environment and Natural Sciences RAP to be almost assured a spot in Baker.
Cheyenne Arapaho Hall
- Community: Central Campus
- Room style: Mostly doubles with a few triples, quads, and quints
- Bathroom style: Hall
- Sink in room: No
- Air Conditioning: No
- Carpet in room: No
- Elevators: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
Cheyenne Arapaho is another of the most sought-after freshman dorms on CU-Boulder’s campus. It’s large enough that you meet a lot of people, but since it doesn’t have an attached dining hall, it fosters a more intimate environment without random people coming in and out all day. The rooms are decent-sized. Most are doubles. There are a few higher-occupancy rooms, but like we said earlier, you should do everything possible to avoid those.
Located directly across Farrand Field from Baker, Cheyenne Arapaho also has a top location on campus if you want to be in the middle of the action and not have to hike (or catch the bus) to most of your classes every day. The only major knock on Cheyenne Arapaho compared to Baker is it doesn’t have air conditioning.
How to get in: Cheyenne Arapaho houses the Leeds Business RAP. If you’re an aspiring business bro or business boss lady, you can get into Cheyenne Arapaho by signing up for this residential academic program early.
Farrand Hall
- Community: Central Campus
- Room style: Mostly doubles
- Bathroom style: Suite or hall
- Sink in room: No
- Air Conditioning: No
- Carpet in room: No
- Elevators: No
- Laundry facilities: Yes
Farrand Hall is popular for its unique layout and its gorgeous campus views. The suites on the top floors, which have two double rooms that share a bathroom, look out over Farrand Field. Other rooms in Farrand are corridor-style doubles with hall bathrooms. The building is five stories at its tallest point and doesn’t have elevators. That could be a big plus if you have a fear of elevators like me or a big minus if the idea of hoofing it up several flights of stairs multiple times a day doesn’t appeal to you.
With its Central Campus location, Farrand is convenient to several dining halls and most of your classes.
How to get in: Sign up for the Design Your Path LLC, a program in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences program that lets you craft your own field of study based on your unique interests.
Libby Hall
- Community: Central Campus
- Room style: Mostly doubles with a few singles and higher-occupancy rooms
- Bathroom style: Hall
- Sink in room: No
- Air Conditioning: No
- Carpet in room: No
- Elevators: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
Libby Hall offers a convenient location and a nice mix of single and multiple-occupancy rooms (though the singles go fast, especially for freshmen). It’s next to several academic buildings as well as a Buff Bus stop in case you need to get to the farther reaches of campus and don’t feel like walking. Its dining hall is rated as one of the best on campus, especially for breakfast.
How to get in: Are you a writer, artist, or musician? Sign up for the Creative Minds RAP and you’ll be housed in Libby.
Williams Village
- Community: Williams Village
- Room style: Singles and doubles
- Bathroom style: Suite and hall
- Sink in room: No
- Air Conditioning: Yes
- Carpet in room: No
- Elevators: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
Williams Village (or “Will Vill,” as you’ll hear it called when you get to campus) consists of two dorms, Will Vill East and Will Vill North. In terms of amenities, these are some of the nicest freshman dorms on campus. You’ll enjoy air conditioning, newly renovated rooms and common spaces, and comfortable single or double rooms arranged either corridor-style or in suites. Both dorms have a new, shiny, clean feel to them.
The downsides to Will Vill are that it’s a haul from Central Campus, neither dorm has its own dining hall, and the social scene most years isn’t as festive as the dorms clustered around Farrand Field. But if you prioritize comfort and amenities, you should strongly consider Will Vill.
How to get in: You can get into Will Vill North by joining the pre-business RAP.
Smith Hall
- Community: Kittredge
- Room style: Mostly doubles with a few singles and multiple-occupancy rooms
- Bathroom style: Suite and hall
- Sink in room: No
- Air Conditioning: Yes
- Carpet in room: No
- Elevators: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
Smith Hall is the honors dorm for CU-Boulder freshmen. It’s located about halfway between the Farrand Field dorms and Will Vill. Because it has honors students, it has a quieter and more studious vibe. If you want to be able to study and write papers in your room without being constantly distracted by freshman dorm antics, Smith Hall is a good option.
The amenities in Smith rank among the best at CU-Boulder. It has air conditioning, elevators, and card-operated laundry facilities. It’s surrounded by several green spaces as well as Kittredge Lake.
How to get in: Make top grades and test scores and get into the CU-Boulder Honors Program.
Andrews Hall
- Community: Kittredge
- Room style: Mostly doubles with a few singles and multiple-occupancy rooms
- Bathroom style: Suite and hall
- Sink in room: No
- Air Conditioning: Yes
- Carpet in room: No
- Elevators: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
Also in the Kittredge community, Andrews Hall is laid out similarly to Smith Hall. Both have large double rooms and new renovations. If you’re studying engineering, Andrews is the place to be since you’ll be surrounded by others in your major. It’s also near the business school, so if like many engineers you’re picking up a double major in business, Andrews is a convenient option.
How to get in: Be a top math student and get into the Honors Engineering RAP.
Sewall Hall
- Community: Central Campus
- Room style: Mostly doubles with a few higher-occupancy rooms
- Bathroom style: Suite and hall
- Sink in room: No
- Air Conditioning: No
- Carpet in room: No
- Elevators: No
- Laundry facilities: Yes
Some people rag on Sewall because it’s an older dorm that lacks amenities (there is no A/C and no elevators), but what it lacks in luxury it makes up for in charm, personality, and history. It also fosters one of the tightest-knit communities on campus year in and year out.
Sewall is considered a Central Campus dorm, but it’s more on the northwest end. It’s more integrated with the larger Boulder community than other dorms. The Hill and Pearl Street are a short walk away. It’s also right next to the rec center, so it’s perfect if pumping iron is a priority. After your workout, you can head back to Sewall to fuel up at one of the best dining halls on campus.
How to get in: If you’re a humanities student who likes studying different cultures past and present, sign up for the Stories and Societies RAP.
What Do the Best Dorms at CU Boulder Cost?
We’ll cut right to the chase: dorm living at CU Boulder is expensive. To put it in perspective, the cheapest freshman dorms at Texas A&M are barely one-fourth the cost of the cheapest dorms at Boulder.
It’s important to clarify one thing about CU-Boulder housing that differs from most colleges, and that is that the price of a particular room style is the same no matter what dorm you’re in. That takes cost out of the equation when deciding between one dorm and another.
Here are CU-Boulder’s housing costs for the 2022-23 academic year based on room style:
- Double, triple, quad, or quint with hall bathroom: $8,073 per semester
- Double, triple, quad, or quint with attached bathroom: $8,916 per semester
- Single with hall bathroom: $8,916 per semester
- Single with attached bathroom: $9,170 per semester
- Double or triple bedroom in apartment: $9,170 per semester (typically reserved for sophomores and above)
- Studio apartment for one person: $9,170 per semester (typically reserved for sophomores and above)
- Apartment that stays open during academic breaks: $9,677 per semester (typically reserved for sophomores and above)
A few things about CU-Boulder’s dorm prices stand out:
You Don’t Save Money With a Triple or Quad
Unlike at many schools, you don’t save any money by living in a three, four, or five-person room as opposed to a double. So, unless you just love being crammed into a small space with as many people as possible, there’s no reason to choose one of these rooms. In fact, we recommend getting your housing deposit in early and explicitly requesting not to be in anything more than a double. That is if you treasure your sanity.
Singles Are a Fantastic Deal — If You Can Get One
The price of a single with an attached bathroom is less than $300 more per semester than the price of a shared room (even a five-person room) with an attached bathroom. The caveat is that single dorm rooms are in short supply at CU-Boulder, and students with documented needs, such as a disability or social anxiety, usually get priority.
You Can Save by Living Off Campus After Your First Year
All housing costs at CU-Boulder are brutally high — they’re more than double the dorm costs at UW-Madison, for instance — but the cost of an apartment that stays open during breaks is especially egregious at almost $10,000 for a nine-month contract. That’s over $1,000 per month, and remember, you’ll have at least three apartment-mates, including one you’ll share a bedroom with. Even in Boulder’s competitive rental market, you can find something cheaper off campus for your upperclass years.
The Bottom Line on the Best Dorms at CU Boulder
CU-Boulder has many living options spread across several areas of campus. Your focus shouldn’t be on picking the “best” freshman dorm in an objective sense but picking the one that best suits your own personality and living style. That means do your research (going over this guide a couple times is a good place to start), ask questions, and think about what matters to you. Do that and you’re sure to land in the right spot and have a freshman year to remember. Go Buffs!
