Residence Life & Housing

Our traditional residence halls—Kistler, Dilworth, and Heinz—encourage interaction among residents and emphasize cooperation, compromise, and respect for others. Although traditional residence halls house primarily first-year students, some spaces are available for upper class students via Housing Selection.

Traditional halls offer single-gender floors, coed floors, or gender-neutral floors.  Coed floors offer single-gender common bathrooms. Gender-neutral floors offer a gender-neutral common bathroom. Students are only housed in coed or gender-neutral floors when they request this via the housing application. Most students are housed with one other roommate. Sometimes, students may be housed with two roommates -- these spaces may be larger than traditional double rooms. 

Amenities include: 

• Central location to campus resources
• Laundry facilities, located on the ground floor and free of charge
• An air-conditioned main lobby and vending area with a pool table and flat-screen TV
• Common bathrooms on all floors

Semester Room Rates: 

• Double Occupancy: $4,250 per resident, per semester
• Single Occupancy: $4,950 per resident, per semester
• Triple/Quad Occupancy: $3,550 per resident, per semester (as of summer 2024)

Grey Towers Castle is a first-year residence hall that is anything but traditional! Students are housed in rooms of 2 to 5 students (occupancy of each room is based on square footage). Common bathrooms are available in each of two wings. A laundry room is provided, and a microwave is available in the common lounge area. Please note that given the large size of the Castle rooms, all students in the Castle pay the standard room rate. The Castle is a coed building with single-gender wings. 

Semester room rates:

• Double Occupancy Castle Room: $4,250
• Castle Quads and Qunits: $4,050

Thomas Hall is reserved for returning and transfer students. However, first-year students may be housed in Thomas Hall if spaces remain after Housing Selection. Thomas Hall is a smaller, gender-neutral community composed entirely of single rooms; all students share the same common bathroom.

Semester room rate:

• Single Occupancy: $4,950 per semester, per resident

Knight Hall, a suite-style residence hall, and returning students and new transfers. Space for this community is limited.

Depending on your desired experience, Knight Hall may be ideal if you are entering your second or third year of college. It offers the benefit of a smaller, more independent housing experience within close proximity to other residence halls and campus resources.  We house 5 - 7 students per suite. Each suite shares a bathroom, a common area with lounge furniture, and a large closet. Residents are housed in a single or double room within the suite. Each floor is equipped with a laundry facility and a large lounge with a kitchen. Knight Hall is air-conditioned, and has elevator access to all floors.

Knight Hall suites are single-gender or gender-neutral at the discretion of the roommate groups that select the spaces during Housing Selection. 

Semester Room Rates: 

• Single Occupancy: $4,950 per resident, per semester
• Double Occupancy: $4,250 per resident, per semester

Oak Summit is an Arcadia University-owned apartment-style housing complex just a short walk from the center of campus. Apartments include a kitchen, private bathroom(s), and private laundry facilities. You are eligible to be placed in apartment-style housing if you have had previous residence hall or apartment experience.

Amenities unique to Oak Summit include:

• A fitness center in the main lobby;
• Student parking on site;
• Direct access to Glenside proper and a short 10-minute walk to the Glenside Train Station;
• Dining cafe located in the main lobby.

Oak Summit Apartments offer several layouts, and house two to four students in one, two, or three bedroom units. Room rates are determined by the number of students occupying a specific bedroom, not by the total occupancy of the apartment. 

Semester Room Rates: 

• Single Occupancy: $4,950 per resident, per semester
• Double Occupancy: $4,250 per resident, per semester

Arcadia Universtiy Residence Halls are closed during Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Break. Summer housing is available on a limited basis in Knight Hall. Summer housing information is posted in April internally, and is available to current undergraduate students. Specific dates for these break periods are made available during Summer Welcome Days and are listed in the University Housing Agreement.

Any student who requires medical accommodations will be given priority. Students are encouraged to submit important paperwork as soon as possible -- for returning students, March 15th, 2025. Incoming students, May 1, 2025, but at least by the priority housing deadline of June 2, 2025.

We encourage students to consider the on-campus experience they value most, and take that into consideration when completing the Housing Application. Housing experiences are the priority, and are weighted heavier than roommate preferences.  We do not take into consideration deposit or housing application completion date when making housing assignments. We look at the preferences a student indicated on their housing application, and house them based upon their preference for a housing experience first (living in the Castle, Theme Community, specific floor-type). If a roommate pair indicates the same housing experiences, they are more likely to be placed together. If a roommate pair indicates different housing experiences, they are not likely to be placed together.

If you indicate that you want to live with a particular person, and that person agrees, we will do our very best to house you with that person. We strongly encourage students to consider the lifestyle characteristics listed in the Housing Application Questionnaire in determining roommate compatibility. 

Residence Life does our best to house students based upon their preferences, but we cannot guarantee that this will always be possible. It is rare, but not unlikely, that we change a particular roommate or room assignment due to various factors, including, but not limited to, student needs, changes in student decisions, and interest.

Dilworth, Heinz, and Kistler rooms are approximately 11’x14’. Thomas Hall rooms are approximately 11’x13’. Grey Towers Castle rooms vary in size and are assigned accordingly. The measurements of windows, closets, and space under the beds vary by room.   

Mattresses in our residence halls are extra-long (36" x 80") and require twin, extra-long sheets. Residence and Commuter Life has partnered with On Campus Marketing (OCM LLC) to provide students with a convenient, affordable way to purchase bedding items, as well as other campus-living necessities. 

In a traditional residence hall room, you will find:

• Bed frame and mattress (twin, extra-long)
• Desk and desk chair
• Dresser
• Closets
• Triples are furnished with one lofted bed and one set of bunked beds. Ladders and bed guards are included.
• Internet access – all residence hall rooms have access to the University's high-speed wireless and Ethernet networks. To use Arcadia's network, you must complete an online registration process for each computer and handheld device. 

In the hall, you’ll also find: 

• Laundry rooms—washers and dryers are free of charge (included in housing rate)
• Common study areas
• Housekeeping service for each common area, common bathroom, and lounge area
• Furnished main lounges with vending machines and flat screen TVs
  • Heinz and Kistler also have pool tables, and the Dilworth/Thomas lounge has a foosball table

For kitchens and cooking: 

• Common-area microwaves are available throughout the traditional residence halls.
• Knight Hall has one kitchen per floor, located in the lounge. You must provide your own cooking supplies.
• Apartments feature a full-sized kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and oven. Most provide dishwashers. You must provide your own cooking supplies and microwave oven (if desired).

Additional Furniture: 

• Knight Hall suites feature loveseats, sofas, and coffee tables in the common area.
• Apartments feature a dining room table, four dining chairs, and a seating area with a sofa, loveseat, end table, and coffee table in the living room.

The traditional residence halls (Kistler, Thomas, Dilworth, and Heinz), have community bathrooms, shared by the members of the floor. The housekeeping staff cleans, maintains, and stocks these facilities daily.

In Knight Hall, there is one bathroom in each suite. You are expected to clean and maintain the bathrooms. Housekeeping staff stock the bathrooms with paper products.

In apartment-style housing, units have one or two bathrooms, depending on the occupancy and size of the unit. You are expected to clean, maintain, and stock these bathrooms.

• Sheets–twin, extra-long
• Egg crates or mattress pads
• Pillows
• Towels
• Shower shoes or flip-flops
• Shower caddy
• Alarm clock
• TV 
• Iron with an automatic shutoff and ironing board
• Kitchen utensils
• Air fresheners
• White board for door
• Power strip/surge protector
• Trash can
• Fan
• Storage crates
• Laundry supplies
• Decorations
• Poster putty or removable adhesive strips—students are responsible for damage to their walls and furniture at the end of the year.
• Hand sanitizer
• Cleaning wipes
• Thermometer

• Alcohol (if you are under the age of 21)
• Water beds or other beds
• Air conditioners
• Toaster ovens
• Sun lamps
• Space heaters
• Extension cords 
• Pets (other than fish in a tank no larger than 10 gallons)
• Ceiling fans
• Refrigerators larger than 3.2 cubic feet
• Microwave ovens (other than those leased or purchased through an authorized University vendor)
• Halogen lamps without approved covers
• Candles
• Incense
• Grills (George Foreman, charcoal, or gas burning)
• Coffee makers without an automatic shut-off
• Bottled gas appliances
• Any device that has an exposed heating element and/or does not have automatic shut-off
• Wall and ceiling coverings

Campus Life partners with two providers of in-room amenities: Campus Specialties Inc. is our combination microwave/refrigerator provider. As most returning student spaces within our housing system (Oak Summit Apartments) provide a full-size refrigerator and freezer, renting a refrigerator or combination unit can be a good option for first-year students. CSI also provides microwave-only options. All units are available for one or both semesters.

Due to insurance policy, only microwaves from CSI are approved for use within the traditional residence halls. No microwaves are permitted in the Castle, including those rented via our contracted provider.

Dormify  is the provider of linens, storage, and more. All items are shipped directly to students’ Arcadia addresses. This is a great option for students traveling from a distance. 

Given the agreement Arcadia University has with these companies, Campus Life receives a percentage of all purchases that is used for student programming.

Arcadia is not responsible for damage to personal belongings in your residence hall room or apartment. You should make sure that your belongings are covered under a homeowner’s insurance policy or make arrangements for renter’s insurance coverage if necessary.

Your first step is to discuss the situation with your Resident Assistant, who may be able to help you and your roommate resolve your differences. If, after discussion, a room change is appropriate, you must speak to your Residence Life Coordinator. Room changes are not possible until after the third week of the semester, and then only as space permits.

During Thanksgiving, winter, and spring breaks, the residence halls are closed. Break exceptions are available on a case-by-case basis. Charges are associated with these exceptions as these time periods are not covered by the University Housing Agreement. Students who travel from a distance are welcome to speak with their Residence Life Coordinator to plan for these break periods.

Residence halls house all genders. Most halls are co-ed by floor or wing. Additionally, Knight Hall suites and Oak Summit apartments offer the option of coed housing by bed, where students of different genders may share the same room. Residence Life will only house student in co-ed suites and apartments by request.

Our Community Standards, highlighted via the Knight Code of Honor, are reinforced by the Code of Conduct and University Housing Agreement. When you complete your housing application, you can review the University Housing Agreement and learn more about University policies. All students are required to agree to and abide by all university policies.

Your address will be:

[Full Student Name] -- STUDENT (Example: John Arcadia -- STUDENT)
Arcadia University
450 South Easton Road
Glenside, Pa. 19038