Living at Harvard
Living at Harvard
The residential system creates vibrant, unique, and supportive communities where you can unwind after a busy day and feel at home.
Harvard Yard Dorms
First-year students live in residential neighborhoods called Yards, which are located at the geographic and historic center of College life. Accommodations range from eighteenth-century buildings, which housed the earliest Harvard students as well as George Washington's troops, to our newest twentieth-century accommodations in Canaday Hall.
The Houses
The Houses serve as the foundation for the undergraduate experience at Harvard College. Approximately ninety-three percent of all upperclass undergraduates live in one of the twelve residential Houses. Each House accommodates 350-500 students with its own dining hall, common rooms, and facilities for academic, recreational, and cultural activities.
Housing Processes
Rising Sophomore Lottery
The lottery is coming! Need to know what a blocking group is? How the process works? Follow the link below to learn more.
Leaving and Returning
Going on leave or returning from abroad? Learn how to cancel your housing and guarantee yourself a room upon your return.
Transferring Houses
After a full year of living in your assigned house, you can apply to transfer houses. For more information, visit the transferring houses page.
