Each year, many students choose to #LiveWithBucky and return to live on campus for their second year of college and beyond so they have more time for the things that matter to them, like studying, friends, and fun. As you research your living options for next year, consider all the ways living on-campus sets you up for success. There are also resources available to help students find off-campus housing, including Off-Campus Housing Services.
Note: on-campus housing is not guaranteed for non-first-year students, depending on demand and available space in our residence halls. If you do not indicate “yes” on your Notice of Intent before October 27, you may not have another opportunity to participate in the returning resident room selection process. If you miss the October 27 deadline, you can add yourself to a waiting list by logging in to My UW Housing. Wait list status is not a guarantee of future on-campus housing
Complete Your Notice of Intent
We need to know what your housing plans are for next year. It’s easy and only takes a moment! Starting October 21, log in to My UW Housing to complete your 2026-27 Notice of Intent by October 27 and indicate:
- Yes — I’m planning on returning to Housing next year, so keep me informed about the returning resident process/deadlines and assign me a random number to determine if and when I’ll have access to select a room.
- No — I’m not returning to University Housing next year, so don’t send me communications about returning. I am not interested in being assigned a random number to determine if and when I’ll have access to select a room.
Note: if you do not indicate “Yes” on your Notice of Intent before October 27, you may not have another opportunity to participate in the returning resident room selection process. If you miss the October 27 deadline, you can add yourself to a waiting list by logging in to My UW Housing. Wait list status is not a guarantee of future on-campus housing.
Why Live On Campus?
When you #LiveWithBucky, you’ll get another year of an environment built for and invested in your success, unlike an off-campus apartment.
Choose Your Space
Returning residents get to select their own space before new students. If available at your room selection time, you can choose to live in the same room, a newer hall, a single, double, or triple, or in one of our popular learning or theme communities.
Dining Options
Skip the hassles of cooking and grocery shopping, and enjoy convenient dining in any of our locations.
Maintenance & Cleaning
Our Facilities staff handle maintenance and repair requests quickly and efficiently. Plus, we diligently clean all common spaces including bathrooms, hallways, lounges, and more.
Academic Resources
Statistics prove students who live on-campus earn better grades and graduate sooner than those who live off-campus. It’s easy to see why: we offer academic resources like advising, tutoring, classes, and quiet study spaces in residence halls.
Location & Events
Live near classes, work, and dining with quick and easy access to workout facilities, health services, libraries, and more. Plus, every year our staff plan events for students to relax, unwind, and meet new friends at.
Services & Amenities
Laundry, 24/7 staff support, media centers, Internet, furnishings, water, heat, and electricity are all included and available close to where you live.
Live with Friends
Create your own fun and familiar Wisconsin Experience with a roommate group and live with up to two friends in a room.
Flexibility
Friends change, especially during your first year, and your choice of roommate or room might change, too. Unlike an off-campus lease, we can help you switch if needed. Considering studying abroad? No need to find a subletter or try to get out of a lease. Students studying abroad can cancel the spring semester part of their contract so departure is simpler.
Leadership & Job Opportunities
Make a lasting impact on campus and jumpstart your future by taking advantage of leadership and job opportunities. Be a House Fellow, Badger Buddy, student supervisor, intern, or peer mentor and live where you work while improving your skills.
"I liked the resources that Housing provides, such as dining, facilities, and tutoring help. I think there's an advantage to another year in Housing because having a sense of security and most things figured out for you is beneficial."
Abby Z. • Dejope resident (second year) • Cole/BioHouse resident (first year)
Steps & Dates
Notice of Intent & Roommate Selection
Open October 21 – 27, 2025
Starting October 21, all residents are required to log in to My UW Housing and complete their Notice of Intent to let us know their housing plans for next fall. Students who indicate “yes” on their Notice of Intent by October 27 will be assigned a random number to determine if and when they will have access to select a room.
During this time, students can also apply to learning/theme and language communities, connect with other current housing residents to create roommate groups (1–3 roommates), or they can go it alone! Residents can then look for available spaces in My UW Housing that might be of interest to them.
Email Confirmation
By October 30, 2025
Residents who indicate “yes” on their Notice of Intent by October 27 will receive an email to their @wisc.edu email address which will either have a date and time when they’ll be able to select a room in My UW Housing, or a notification that based on their randomly assigned number, we were not able to reach them and they’ll be placed on a waiting list.
Room Selection
November 3 — 6, 2025
Starting November 3, students will be allowed to select rooms starting at the time of their room selection time slot. If in a roommate group, a group leader must select and confirm a space that is the appropriate room type for all members of their roommate group.
Contract & Advance Payment
Once a resident has selected a room, they must sign their contract and pay an advance payment within 72 hours to secure their space. If in a roommate group, all members of the group must sign a contract and pay their advance payments within 72 hours of the group leader confirming the space. Other members of the group cannot confirm their space until the group leader does.
This step makes the contract a legally binding agreement where residents are responsible for all housing charges for Academic Year 2026-27. University Housing does not allow students to cancel to live off campus.
Note: If a resident does not sign a contract and pay their advance payment within 72 hours of selecting a space, they may not have another opportunity to select a room. Not completing these steps within 72 hours will result in a resident being placed on the waiting list and another opportunity to select a space is not guaranteed. Wait list status is not a guarantee of future on-campus housing.
Have Your Own Bathroom a Block from State Street in Lowell
Lowell Center is a fantastic option for returning residents and current UW students. Close to Memorial Union, Memorial Library, and State Street with beautiful views of Lake Mendota, Lowell offers a mix of singles, doubles, and triples, each with a private bathroom.
What'll It Cost?
Our room and dining plan rates are some of the lowest in the Big Ten. We take pride in minimizing our costs while providing an exceptional experience for all residents. The projected rates listed below are per resident, per academic year and include utilities (heating/cooling, electricity, and water), furnishings, Internet, digital or cable TV, maintenance/repairs, cleaning of bathrooms and common spaces, and 24/7 full-time staff support.
- Residence Hall Room: $7,300 – $11,000 (rates vary)
- Dining Plan: $4,200 – $6,000 (required for all residents)
- Students select from one of three dining plan options based on their eating habits and how much they plan to dine on campus. Meals and Dining Dollars are loaded onto their Wiscard for food purchases.
- All Housing dining markets offer all-you-care-to-eat service.
Note: total costs of room and board can be calculated by:
- [Room Rate] + [Dining Plan Rate] = Total Room & Board Costs
What's New Next Year?
- Kronshage Residence Hall renovations will begin in fall 2026 starting with Showerman and Conover Houses which will be offline for 2026-27.
- Lowell Market will be closed for the 2026-27 academic year and will not function as a dining market in the future.
- The BioHouse Learning Community will move from Cole to Leopold for the 2026-27 academic year.
- Double room options will be limited in Dejope, Leopold, Ogg, and Smith Residence Halls. If you are currently in a double room, it may not be a double room next year. Other building and room type options could also be limited due to changes to capacity, programs, or staff.
- UW-Madison students currently living off-campus are not eligible to live in University Housing in 2026-27.
- Roommate requests for returning residents to live with an incoming first-year student will not be available.
- After students have selected a room and signed a contract, room change requests will not be available until the returning resident room selection process ends.
Still Deciding?
If you have questions, fill out our contact us form and we’ll get back to you with an answer as soon as we can. While the residence halls are a great option, many students choose to live in off-campus housing after their first year at UW-Madison. If you have questions about moving off-campus, contact Housing’s Off-Campus Housing Services at off-campus@housing.wisc.edu. The Off-Campus Housing Marketplace is also a good resource to search for available off-campus housing options in the Madison community and find potential roommates.