New Housing Students
Columbia University Irving Medical Center's on-campus accommodations are a practical and cost-effective way to live in Manhattan. All our residential buildings are located on campus, within easy walking distance of academic buildings, labs, the library, 50 Haven Ave. Athletic Center, and public transportation.
Eligibility
To apply for housing, you must be enrolled full-time at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in one of the following schools or programs:
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S)
- College of Dental Medicine (CDM)
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Students (CUIMC VP&S PhDs in Biomedical Sciences Only)
- School of Nursing (SON)
- Mailman School of Public Health (MSPH)
- Programs in Human Nutrition (IHN), Physical Therapy (PHYT), Occupational Therapy (OCCT), or Genetic Counseling (GC)
If you are not eligible for on-campus housing or prefer to live off-campus, you can search for apartments, rooms, and roommates on Columbia University’s Off-Campus Housing Assistance website (managed by the Morningside campus).
Application Timelines
Our housing assignment notifications vary by school and program start date. Refer to the information below to determine your appropriate application timeline. We will not consider any applications submitted outside of their appropriate application timelines.
The housing application process is divided in two phases:
- Phase 1: Application
- Phase 2: Placement
Spring 2025 Newly Matriculated Students
If you'll be enrolled full time in a CUIMC school or program beginning in the spring, you can now apply for on-campus housing. Our team will send out housing placement information via email starting in mid-November.
Students can expect to move-in as early as January 1 and no later than January 16.
Summer 2025 and Fall 2025 Newly Matriculated Students
- Phase 1: If you'll be enrolled full time in a CUIMC school or program starting in the Summer or Fall, apply for on-campus housing beginning February 1, 2024. All new housing application will incur a $30 non-refundable application fee.
- The priority deadline for most new students to apply is May 1, 2025.
- School of Nursing Masters Direct Entry and College of Dental Medicine Post Graduates (Endodontics, Orthodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, or Advanced Education in General Dentistry Certificate) should apply by April 1, 2025.
- Phase 2: During Phase 2, all students will self-select their apartment and/or bedroom using the CUIMC Housing Portal. During selection, students will be able to see room details, such as floor plans, current occupants, current rates, and other amenities. Lastly, students will e-sign their paperwork and pay the $500 housing commitment fee.
New housing students who submitted their housing applications by the above deadline will be able to select their housing unit during the following dates:
- April 21-April 25: Selection Time for Incoming Masters Direct Entry Nursing Students (MDE) and Incoming Dental post Graduates (Endodontics, Orthodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, or Advanced Education in General Dentistry Certificate) (group 1).
- May 7 – May 9: Priority Selection Time for Guaranteed Programs (VP&S, GSAS PhDs in Biomedical Sciences, Genetic Counseling, Vassar 4+1) complete agreements and paperwork (group 2).
- May 12-May 16: Selection time for all remaining applicants. To ensure fairness, housing is not first-come, first-served. We provide priority self-selection times based on distance from campus and program density (group 3).
- May 19 and on: Selection Times provided throughout the summer as space becomes available for new students who were not initially offered housing and all remaining applications.
It is important to be mindful of the phase 2 selection windows so that you don’t miss the opportunity to find the right space for you. Priority will be calculated by distance from campus as detailed below.
Summer 2025 and Fall 2026 Current CUIMC Students Living Off-Campus
We do not guarantee on-campus housing for currently enrolled students looking to move-on campus.
How We Process Applications
Our office will process your application based on the expected arrival date you provided when you applied for housing. Decisions will be made based on availability. Since we expect demand to exceed availability, a random lottery will be used to determine which applicants will be invited to select housing.
Expected Arrival: When You Will Hear About Your Application Status
- Move-in May 15 – June 30: Decisions will be sent to applicants the week of April 22
- Move-in July 1 – August 31: Decisions will be sent to applicants the week of May 20
- Move-in September 1 and later: Decisions will be sent to applicants the week of June 17
The decision to invite you to campus housing is independent of any housing preferences you may have included on your housing application (building placement, room type placement, suitemate group, etc). Since availability is determined by individual applicants that may select before you, we are not able to provide a likelihood of what will be available to select ahead of your selection time.
Please keep an eye on your email for applicant decision information. We highly encourage you to make back-up plans in the event you are not invited to live on campus.
Housing Placement
Whether you are single or planning to live with a spouse or domestic partner, we have housing options that will suit your needs. We also provide disability housing accommodations for eligible students. All newly admitted single VP&S (MD, MD-PhD and Genetic Counseling only) and newly admitted single GSAS applicants are guaranteed housing.
To ensure fairness, housing is not first-come, first-served. An applicant invitation to live on-campus is based on home address, according to the following priority scale:
- International applicants
- Applicants within the United States coming from farthest west, then moving eastward
- Applicants from the tristate area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut)
If invited to live on-campus, you will be provided a randomly generated selection time. Most students will have the opportunity to self-select their apartment/room.
Due to limited room availability, you may be placed on a wait list based on the date we receive your application and your distance from campus. We will notify all students regarding the status of their application. If you have been placed on the waitlist, we will contact you if an accommodation becomes available.
We can't guarantee that you will be offered an accommodation that satisfies your first preference.
How to Apply
You will receive an email inviting you to apply for housing from housingservices@cumc.columbia.edu once you have been added to the housing portal. If you are a new admitted student, the email will be sent out once your school or program has processed your admission and provided us with your information.
To apply, log-on to the CUIMC Housing Portal and select "Application & Placement" in the menu bar. You will be asked to provide some demographic information, your program, and your desired move-in date.
Cancellation Fees
The application fee is non-refundable. Students who wish to cancel their housing assignment prior to moving-in must notify the Office of Housing Service via email. The commitment fee is 50 % refundable through July 1, 2024. After July 1, the commitment fee is forfeited.
The cancellation fee is $1,750 and has the following deadlines to cancel:
For new fall 2024 students, July 15, 2024 is the last day to cancel without additional penalty.
For new spring 2025 students, December 15, 2024 is the last day to cancel without additional penalty.
For current/continuing students, May 1, 2024 is the last day to cancel without additional penalty.
Once the student has moved-in and wishes to cancel their occupancy agreement, they can review cancellation fees and moving out instructions.