Housing and Dining

On campus housing provided by University Housing & Dining is not guaranteed with admission to the university. If you wish to live on campus, submit a housing application immediately after you are offered admission (late applicants may not be able to be accommodated). To find the housing best suited for you, start searching early. If you do not arrange housing before you arrive in Iowa, we recommend that you arrive early enough to find a place before orientation and classes begin. ISSS cannot help students find housing.

Short-Term Stay

The Guide to Living in Iowa City has information about hotels in the Iowa City area where you can stay when you first arrive and before you are able to move in to your permanent housing. It is recommended to always make a reservation in advance. A listing of lodging options can be found on the website of the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

On-Campus

University Housing and Dining houses 94% of first year students within the 11 residence halls that are on campus. Students offered admission for the Fall term will be able to apply for housing as early as January. Living on campus is a great way to make new friends and meet new people, as well as take advantage of a safe and affordable living space. To learn more about living on campus and the application process, visit the University Housing and Dining website: https://housing.uiowa.edu/newstudents and https://housing.uiowa.edu/assignments.   

On-Campus Dining

University Housing and Dining has a variety of options to fit your schedule and preferences. A meal plan can be purchased which provides a pre-set number of meals purchased in advance for an academic semester.

Students living in the residence halls are required to maintain a meal plan and will pick their desired meal plan during online room selection.  Students living off campus can purchase a meal plan beginning in mid-August, prior to the fall term beginning and again in early January.  To learn more about meal plans and locations, visit the University Dining website: https://dining.uiowa.edu/meal-plans/purchase-meal-plan and https://dining.uiowa.edu/locations.  

Off-Campus

An off-campus housing guide and listings can be found by visiting Off-Campus Living. Please note that the University of Iowa does not provide housing for graduate students, but has a partnership with Aspire.