If you want to go to college where other college kids go for spring break, the University of Tampa should be on your list. Adjacent to downtown Tampa, the campus of this mid-size private university features palm trees and Spanish-style architecture that makes you feel like you’re in a tropical paradise.
UTampa is also rising in the academic rankings, becoming more selective every year. Students come from all over the country, resulting in a diverse student body and an active campus culture where something is always going on.
To get the most out of your UTampa experience, we highly recommend living on campus – at least for your freshman year. When you live on campus, you’re at the heart of all the action. You’re just steps away from your classes, the library, and all the other resources that UTampa has to offer. Plus, you’ll be living with other students who are going through the same things you are, so you’ll always have a support system.
That said, on-campus living can turn into a nightmare if you don’t end up in a good dorm. That’s why we wrote this article. We rank all of the UTampa dorms from top to bottom, giving you the scoop on each and what you can expect. Read on to learn about the best dorms at UTampa.
Dorm Types at the University of Tampa
The University of Tampa offers seven styles of dorms, but some are limited to sophomores and above. That said, if you get your housing deposit in early, you might be able to secure a single room as a freshman. Here we break down each dorm style offered at UTampa.
Apartment-Style Dorms
UTampa has two apartment-style dorms, where four students share a common area, full kitchen, and bathroom, and each student gets their own bedroom. (Caveat: In one of the two apartment dorms, a few of the units have two double bedrooms instead of four single bedrooms. This factors into our rankings below.)
Studio Apartment-Style Dorms
There is one dorm that features studio apartments for one person – the living room, kitchen, and bedroom are in one open space. The dorm also has “double studios” featuring two small single bedrooms.
Suite-Style Dorms (With Common Area)
A few of the dorms at UTampa are suite style with a common area – basically like an apartment except with no kitchen. These suite-style dorms feature both single and double bedrooms. Either way, you’ll share the suite with a total of three other students.
Suite-Style Dorms (Without Common Area)
The suite-style dorms at UTampa without a common area look like the typical Jack-and-Jill college dorm rooms: two rooms, each housing either two or three students and sharing a connecting bathroom.
Corridor-Style Dorms
UTampa’s corridor-style dorms look like classic college dorms: long hallways with rooms on both sides, and community-style bathrooms shared by either the entire hall or a subset of rooms on the hall.
The Barrymore Hotel
The Barrymore Hotel is an actual hotel located just off campus. It is used for spillover housing when the demand for dorm rooms exceeds the supply – which is pretty much every year at UTampa these days.
The Boathouse
The McNeel Boathouse is a unique housing option located right on the water. It even has its own dock, which is pretty cool. The downside: 17 students share basically one open space, so there is little to no privacy.
The Best Dorms at UTampa: We Rank Them Top to Bottom
Palm Apartments
- Dorm style: Apartment
- Room style: Mostly singles
- Bathroom style: Shared by four apartment residents
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $5,508 (single bedroom), $4,271 (double bedroom)
The Palm Apartments are the newest and nicest housing facility at UTampa. Most units in the complex feature an open common living area, a full kitchen, one bathroom, and four single bedrooms with twin beds.
Straz Hall
- Dorm style: Apartment
- Room style: Mostly singles
- Bathroom style: Shared by four apartment residents
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $5,508 (single bedroom), $4,271 (double bedroom)
The apartments in Straz Hall are laid out similarly to the ones in the Palm Apartments: four bedrooms, one bath, a full kitchen and living room. Square footage is also similar between the two complexes; the Palm is just a little bit newer.
Urso Hall
- Dorm style: Studio apartment
- Room style: Singles and doubles
- Bathroom style: Private or shared with one suitemate
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $5,470 (single studio), $5,052 (double studio)
Urso Hall features one and two-person studio apartments. Both layouts offer private bedrooms. The one-person studios have the bedroom, living room, and kitchen all in one open space, and you get your own bathroom. In the double option, you share a small living/kitchen area and a bathroom with one roommate.
Jenkins Hall
- Dorm style: Suite (with common area)
- Room style: Singles and doubles
- Bathroom style: Shared with one roommate
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $4,802 (single bedroom), $3,165 (double bedroom)
Jenkins Hall is laid out similarly to the Palm Apartments and Straz Hall, but since the suites in Jenkins don’t have kitchens, they can’t be called apartments. On the plus side, they have two bathrooms for four people to share instead of just one.
Brevard Hall
- Dorm style: Suite (with common area)
- Room style: Singles and doubles
- Bathroom style: Shared with one roommate
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $4,802 (single bedroom), $3,165 (double bedroom)
Brevard Hall is laid out similarly to Jenkins Hall. The bedrooms inside the suites are either singles or doubles; either way, four people share one suite, which features two bathrooms.
McKay Hall
- Dorm style: Suite (without common area)
- Room style: Mostly doubles
- Bathroom style: Shared with one to three suitemates
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $4,802 (single bedroom), $3,165 (double bedroom)
McKay is a typical Jack-and-Jill suite-style college dorm. Most rooms are doubles, and you share a connected bathroom with another double room. Depending on the year, you might be able to snag a single in McKay by paying extra.
Smiley Hall
- Dorm style: Suite (without common area)
- Room style: Mostly doubles
- Bathroom style: Shared with one to three suitemates
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $4,802 (single bedroom), $3,165 (double bedroom)
Smiley is another suite-style dorm with room laid out similarly to those in McKay.
Barrymore Hotel
- Dorm style: Off-campus hotel
- Room style: Mostly doubles
- Bathroom style: Shared with one roommate
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $4,802 (single bedroom), $3,165 (double bedroom)
The Barrymore Hotel is located off-campus with shuttle service to class. Two people share a typical hotel room that includes a private bath and full-size beds. There is also twice-weekly housekeeping service. The big downside, of course, is that you’re so far removed from campus that it can be difficult to plug into the social scene as a freshman, especially without a car.
Morsani Hall
- Dorm style: Features both suites (with common area) and corridor-style rooms
- Room style: Mostly doubles and triples
- Bathroom style: Shared with either two roommates or three suitemates
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $4,802 (single bedroom), $3,165 (double bedroom), $2,827 (triple bedroom)
Morsani has both suites with common areas and old-school corridor-style dorm rooms. The suites are nice because not only does the common area provide a little extra space, but the bedrooms are doubles. The corridor-style rooms are mostly triples, but they do feature a private bath.
Vaughn Center
- Dorm style: Suite (without common area)
- Room style: Doubles and triples
- Bathroom style: Shared with three or four suitemates
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $3,165 (double bedroom), $2,827 (triple bedroom)
The Vaughn Center houses mostly freshmen in double and triple rooms connected to another room by an in-suite bathroom. Typically, a double will connect to a triple, so there are never more than five people sharing a bathroom (which is still a lot!).
Austin Hall
- Dorm style: Suite (without common area)
- Room style: Doubles and triples, a few singles
- Bathroom style: Shared with three or four suitemates
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $4,802 (single bedroom), $3,165 (double bedroom), $2,827 (triple bedroom)
Austin Hall has rooms that are similar to Vaughn’s. There are a few single rooms as well, but they are nearly impossible to snag as a freshman.
The Boathouse
- Dorm style: House
- Room style: Open living arrangement
- Bathroom style: Shared with housemates
- Air conditioning: Yes
- Laundry facilities: Yes
- Cost per semester: $2,173
The Boathouse is by far the most unique housing option at UTampa, located right on the river with its own dock. But in our opinion, that’s nowhere near enough to make up for the fact that more than a dozen people sleep in one open space with no ability to close the door for privacy. This is also the cheapest housing option at UTampa, but there’s a reason for that.
UTampa Dorm Life: Things to Consider
Now that you know all of your housing choices at UTampa and how we ranked them from top to bottom, here are a few more things you should keep in mind as you prepare to begin your college journey:
Housing Isn’t Guaranteed for Freshmen at UTampa
For incoming freshmen at UTampa, it’s important to know that, unlike at most colleges these days, housing is not guaranteed. This means that you might not get a spot in the dorms – especially if you wait until late in the game to submit your housing deposit.
It’s also not easy to find safe and affordable off-campus housing nearby. As you’ve probably seen in the news, the whole country seems to be moving to Florida these days, and Tampa is a favorite landing spot. This has sent rents soaring.
That’s why it’s crucial to get your housing deposit in as soon as possible. Waiting until the last minute can leave you scrambling to find a place to live.
Prices Vary a Ton
Unlike at some colleges that have one fixed price for on-campus housing, the cost of living on campus at UTampa can vary a lot depending on which dorm you choose and what type of bedroom you live in.
The cheapest option – the Boathouse – is just over $2,000, while the most expensive costs almost $5,500 as of 2023. A huge difference, to be sure.
So, be realistic about what you can afford before making your selection. Living in a single bedroom might sound great (and it is), but it is much more expensive at UTampa than a double or triple.
Freshman Residents Can’t Bring Cars
If you plan to live on campus during your freshman year at UTampa, which we highly recommend, it’s important to know that you’ll likely be restricted from bringing a car – or, more specifically, from parking it on campus.
Due to limited parking availability, only a small number of resident freshmen are allowed to have cars. This can be inconvenient if you’re used to driving everywhere, but there are other options for getting around.
UTampa offers free shuttles to nearby locations, and public transportation is also available. There’s always Uber and Lyft, as well. Plus, living on campus means you’re just a short walk away from all your classes and activities, so you won’t need to rely on a car as much as you might think.
The Bottom Line on the Best Dorms at UTampa
UTampa is an amazing place to go to college if you’re looking for a combination of great weather, solid academics, and a bustling social scene. To get the most out of your freshman year, living on campus is a must. We hope the information in this article helps you pick the right dorm to start your time at UTampa off on the right foot!
