Residential colleges are found at universities around the world. This list is sorted by country (and sometimes by regional subdivision), and by university.
There are various different definitions of what makes a residential college, including: "Residential colleges are collegia in the original sense: societies, not buildings, and their members may reside anywhere" (emphasis in original); [1] "A residential college is a collegiate residential environment in which live-in faculty play an integral role in the programmatic experience and leadership of the community" (emphasis in original); [2] and "A college is, at its heart, an association or community of people having a distinctive sense of common purpose: in the university context this common purpose is the pursuit of scholarship and understanding through education and research." [3] Overall, residential colleges demonstrate a wide diversity in their natures. [4] This list does not follow a particular definition but includes university residential institutions identified as colleges or residential colleges in reliable sources. It does not include academic colleges (faculties in British English) of universities, although it does include residential colleges (such as those at Oxford and Cambridge universities) that participate in academic teaching. It also does not include residential further education colleges, such as the Royal National College for the Blind, or other non-university residential colleges.
Due to the diversity of residential college systems, not all universities on this list are collegiate universities where all students are members of a residential college. Many universities run residential colleges alongside other forms of residential accommodation, at others residential colleges are only offered after the first year of undergraduate studies, or only in the first year. Post-graduate students are not always included in collegiate systems. In at least one instance, the collegiate system runs primarily within a single faculty of the university. Where this information is available, these differences are described in the list entries below.
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There are four independent colleges in north Adelaide associated with the University of Adelaide, University of South Australia and Flinders University. [5] The oldest, St. Mark's College, opened in 1925. [6]
There are two independent residential colleges associated with the Australian National University:
There are four residential colleges at the University of Tasmania's Hobart campus. [9] Christ College became the first residential college of the university in 1933. [10]
There are three colleges on La Trobe University's Melbourne campus: [11]
The first residential college at the University of Melbourne, Trinity College, opened in 1872. [12] As of 2025, the residential colleges are: [13]
There is one private residential college associated with Monash University: [14]
There are three affiliated residential colleges at Macquarie University: [15]
There are five residential colleges at the University of New England: [16]
There are eight university-operated colleges and four independent colleges at the University of New South Wales. [17]
University operated:
Independent:
Following the foundation of the secular University of Sydney in 1850, the New South Wales government supported the foundation of residential colleges at the new university by the main Christian denominations in the colonye, with the earliest being St. Paul's College (Anglican) in 1856 and St. John's College (Catholic) in 1857. [18] [19] As of 2025, there are seven residential colleges at the University of Sydney, two of which have associated graduate houses: [20]
There is one independent residential college in Brisbane, affiliated to the Uniting Church of Australia: [21]
There are two colleges on the James Cook University Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus: [22]
There are ten colleges at the University of Queensland: [23]
There is one independent college at Curtin University: [24]
There are five colleges at the University of Western Australia: [26]
There are four residential colleges on the Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia: [27]
There are five colleges at Trent University, with a sixth planned to open in 2028: [28]
The colleges affiliated to the University of Manitoba are: [29]
The University of Waterloo has four residential university colleges on its campus that also offer academic programmes: [30]
The University of Toronto has seven constituent and federated colleges on its St. George campus. All undergraduates in the faculty of arts and science are members of a college, but students in other faculties have only limited connections with the colleges. [31] [32] [33] The first college, University College, was established in 1853 but students did not come into residence until its building was completed in 1859. [34]
There are seven colleges at York University. All undergraduate students are assigned a college based on their programme of study: [35] [36]
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, has seven colleges, with an eighth due to open in 2025: [37]
Constructor University in Bremen has four residential colleges: All pre-degree and undergraduate students are members of a college, while postgraduate students are housed off-campus. [38]
There are nine colleges at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. All full-time undergraduates can apply to join one of the colleges. [39]
There are two clusters of residential colleges at the University of Hong Kong, the Jockey Club Student Village III and Jockey Club Student Village IV. Both clusters have 4 colleges. [40]
There is one independent residential college at the University of Bologna, for students from Spain, founded in 1364:
The University of Pavia has 18 residential colleges, with the oldest (Collegio Castiglioni Brugnatelli) dating back to 1429, before closing in 1805 and being re-established in 1954, [45] and the two longest in continuous operation (Collegio Borromeo and Collegio Ghislieri) dating from 1561 and 1567 respectively. [46] [47] Twelve are state-owned, run by the autonomous Ente per il Diritto allo Studio Universitario (EDiSU) organisation (including one in Cremona), four are independent colleges "recognised by the Italian Ministry of University and Research" and two are private colleges. Students are not required to be members of a college. [48]
The University of Macau has ten residential colleges: [49]
The University of Otago has 14 residential colleges (alongside other accommodation options), of which 11 are undergraduate only and 3 take both postgraduates and undergraduates. [50]
There are four residential colleges at the National University of Singapore, among other residential options: [51]
The University of the Free State instituted residential colleges to promote better racial integration following widespread outrage in 2008 over a racist video made by four white students at the Reitz hostel at the university. [52] There are now five residential colleges at the university: [53]
First year students and some second year students at POSTECH live in the residential college: [54]
There are twelve houses within the 'residential college' at Yonsei University. This is a residential programme, separate from the actual dormitories at the university. [55] [56] [57]
There are six residential colleges at Handong Global University: [58]
Following the establishments of the Collegio di Spagna (College of the Spanish) at the University of Bologna in Italy, the first college to be established in Spain itself was San Bartolomé College at the University of Salamanca in 1404, with further colleges being founded after this at other Spanish universities. The colleges were suppressed in 1798. An attempt to re-establish the tradition was made with the Residencia de Estudiantes in 1910, which ended with the Spanish Civil War. The Franco regime restored the colleges in the 1940s, but these then became a focal point for dissent and formed people who played a leading role in Spain's transition to democracy. [59]
There are three colleges at the Autonomous University of Madrid: [60]
There are four colleges at the University of Barcelona: [61]
There is one college at the University of the Basque Country: [62]
There is one college at the University of Cádiz: [63]
There is one college at CEU San Pablo University: [64]
There are three colleges at the Charles III University of Madrid: [65]
There is one college at Comillas Pontifical University: [66]
There are five colleges owned by the Complutense University of Madrid: [67] :
There are also 28 affiliated independent colleges: [68]
There is one college at the University of Córdoba: [69]
There is one college at the University of Deusto: [62]
There is one college at Francisco de Vitoria University: [70]
There are six colleges at the University of Granada, one university-owned and five affiliated: [71] University owned:
Affiliated:
There is one independent college in Barcelona: [61]
There is one independent college in Valencia: [72]
The is one independent college in Granada: [71]
There is one college at the University of León: [73]
There is one college at Mondragon University: [74]
There are nine colleges on the main Pamplona campus of the University of Navarra: [75]
There are also two college on the San Sebastián campus: [76]
There are three colleges at the University of Salamanca: [77]
There is also one independent college affiliated with the university: [78]
There are two colleges affiliated with the University of Santiago de Compostela: [79]
There are five colleges at the University of Seville: [80]
There is one college at the Technical University of Madrid: [81]
There are five colleges at the University of Valencia: [72]
There are three colleges affiliated with the University of Valladolid: [82]
There is one college at Villanueva University: [83]
There are six colleges at the Zaragoza campus of the University of Zaragoza: [84]
There is one college on the Huesca campus: [85]
There is one college on the Teruel campus: [86]
There is one college at National Tsing Hua University:
There is one residential college at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi:
British universities divide into collegiate universities where every student is a member of a college and non-collegiate universities that do not have residential colleges. The collegiate universities define the status of their colleges in their constitutional documents (i.e., their charter, statutes, ordinances, or articles of association). [89] [90] [91] [92] [93] [94]
The University of Cambridge has 31 colleges, with the oldest dating back to the 13th century. All undergraduate and postgraduate students are members of a college. [95] [96]
There are 17 colleges (including one postgraduate-only college) at Durham University, with the oldest dating back to 1832. Two are independent "recognised colleges" while the others are university-owned "maintained colleges". The university has also announced plans to add two more colleges. [97] All students are members of a college. [98]
There are nine colleges (including one postgraduate-only college) at Lancaster University. Every student is a member of a college. [99]
The University of Oxford has 36 colleges, three societies (colleges owned by the university) and four permanent private halls (PPH). [100] All undergraduate students and matriculated graduate students are members of a college. [101] [102]
There are four constituent colleges, all founded in the 19th century, that federated to form the University of Roehampton and continue as colleges within the university. [103] All students are members of a college. [104]
There are eleven colleges at the University of York, including one postgraduate-only college, and all students are members of a college. [105]
There are a wide variety of residential college systems in the United States, although none that completely follow the British model of having all students (undergraduate and postgraduate) be members of a college. Residential college provision is primarily undergraduate, with Princeton being a rare example of a university with a graduate residential college. There are a number of universities that are fully collegiate at the undergraduate level, but many others that offer a small number of residential colleges alongside other residential options, or restrict residential colleges to first year students, or to second year and above.
Binghamton University has six residential communities, four of which are identified as colleges: [106]
Colgate University has four residential commons based on the residential college model. All undergraduate students live in one of the commons for their first two years. [107] [108]
Cornell University has a variety of housing options, including residences halls, program houses (themed residence halls) and co-op houses. Two of the program houses (for second years and above) are identified as residential colleges: [109]
The houses of the West Campus House System have also been identified by the university as a "residential college initiative", again for second year and above. [110]
Dartmouth College has six houses in its house system and all undergraduate students are members of a house while academic staff, other staff and graduate students can request affiliation: [111] [112]
Fairfield University has three sophomore residential colleges that offer both residence and academic programmes to sophomore (second year) students: [113]
Fordham University has a number of integrated learning communities, divided into first year and upper classes. Two of the first year communities and one of the upper class communities are identified as residential colleges.
First year residential colleges: [114]
Upper class residential colleges: [115]
Franklin & Marshall College has five college houses: [116]
Harvard University's house system covers upper-level students (beyond the first year). [117] There are twelve residential houses, or upper class students can chose to join the Dudley Community for non-residential students and students resident in the Dudley co-op: [118]
New York University has two residential college for first year students, among a variety of other housing options: [119]
Princeton University has seven undergraduate colleges and one for postgraduate students. All undergraduates are members of a college, while the Graduate College is one of a variety of options for graduate students, which also include applying to be a resident graduate student in one of the undergraduate colleges. [120] [121] [122]
Rutgers University had a single residential college:
Yale University has 14 residential colleges and all undergraduates belong to a college. Graduate students may apply to be non-residential members of a college through the graduate affiliate program. [124] [125]
Central Michigan University has a number of themed "Living Learning Communities and Residential Colleges", six of which are identified as residential colleges: [126]
The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, has one residential college:
Michigan State University has three themed residential colleges. [128]
Northwestern University has ten themed undergraduate residential colleges, [129] along with other residential options. [130]
The University of Notre Dame residence halls have some elements of a residential college system. [131] [132]
Appalachian State University has ten residential learning communities, one of which is identified as being a residential college: [133]
Baylor University has a mix of residential communities, including four residential colleges: [134]
The University of Georgia has a number of 'living learning communities', including one identified as a residential college, associated with the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences: [135]
Louisiana State University offers ten themed residential colleges, bringing together first year students with similar majors, among its housing options. Upper class students live in campus apartments. [136]
Murray State University has eight residential colleges. All undergraduate students living on campus join a college. [137]
The University of Miami has five residential colleges among its housing options: [138]
The University of Mississippi has two residential colleges: [139]
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has four residential colleges among a variety of housing options: [140]
The University of Oklahoma has two residential colleges: [141]
There are 11 residential colleges at Rice University. All undergraduate students are assigned a college and remain part of that college throughout their time at the university. [142]
The University of South Carolina has one residential college
Southern Arkansas University had one residential college:
All undergraduate students are members of one of Southern Methodist University's 11 residential commons, which they refer to as their "implementation of the residential college system". [145]
There is one residential college at Tulane University:
Vanderbilt University has six residential colleges for undergraduate students past the first year. [147]
The University of Virginia has many forms of upper-class housing including traditional dormitories, apartment-style housing, language houses, and 3 residential colleges: [148]
Virginia Tech has a number of living-learning programmes, three of which are considered residential colleges: [149]
The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) runs a house system with eight undergraduate houses, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate residences not affiliated with houses: [150] [151]
There are eight colleges at the University of California, San Diego, and all undergraduate students are assigned to a college. [152]
There are ten residential colleges at the University of California, Santa Cruz. All undergraduates are members of a college. [153]
There is one residential college at the University of California, Berkeley:
Number of colleges | University name | Country |
---|---|---|
43 | University of Oxford | United Kingdom |
33 | Complutense University of Madrid | Spain |
31 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom |
18 | University of Pavia | Italy |
17 | Durham University | United Kingdom |
14 | University of Otago | New Zealand |
14 | Yale University | United States |
12 | Harvard University | United States |
12 | University of New South Wales | Australia |
12 | Yonsei University | South Korea |