Housing

Postbac Premed Students | Newly-Admitted Students | Current Students
Availability & Eligibility |Timeline | Application | Wait List | Transferring  Non-Columbia Housing

Deciding where to live as a GS student is a very important decision, one to which students should give serious consideration. New York's many and diverse neighborhoods combined with an extensive public transportation system offer a variety of housing options that are convenient to the Columbia campus

GS students reside in many different housing situations. A number of students stay in University-owned housing, many live at home, and some secure other non-University housing in the New York area.

Columbia Housing

GS students are housed in facilities operated by University Apartment Housing. Since few studio apartments are available, GS students are usually accommodated in apartments or dormitory-style suites shared by other Columbia students; typically each student has his or her own bedroom while sharing kitchen and bath facilities.

Postbac Premed Students

Current Postbac Premed students interested in housing should visit the Housing page on the Postbac Premed website. 

Newly Admitted Students

Newly-admitted students interested in obtaining University Housing should consult the Housing page for newly-admitted students.

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Current Students

Housing Availability & Eligibility

Student demand for housing regularly exceeds the allotment and housing is not guaranteed.  The School is allotted a limited number of spaces by University Apartment Housing each semester for new assignments.  Student demand for housing regularly exceeds the allotment and both new and continuing students may apply for University Housing.

University Housing is available to students, couples and students with dependent children on a limited basis and priority is given to those students moving from great distances. Students who live within 50 miles of campus will most likely be placed on a waiting list.

Students who are enrolled full-time at GS (12 or more credits per semester) may apply for University Apartment Housing. Postbaccalaureate Premedical students enrolled for less than 12 credits are eligible for University Housing if they are registered for at least 9 credits and are simultaneously fulfilling their clinical volunteer work requirement of at least 3 hours per week and 42 hours per semester.

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Housing Application Timeline

*Housing assignments are made on a rolling basis as space becomes available. Students who do not receive a housing assignment are automatically placed on the wait list.

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Housing Application Instructions

Only current students not in University Apartment Housing need apply and are encouraged to do so early. Housing assignments are made on a rolling basis as space becomes available.

To apply, please follow these steps:

1. Review the Housing Essentials and Types of Accommodations sections of the UAH website.
2. Sign-up for a My Housing Portal account.
3. Complete the University Apartment Housing application.

Log-in Information

Sign-up Code: uah102172
CUID/PID: Students will also need their CUID/PID in order to complete the application; the CUID/PID number begins with C00 and is available at the top of any page in SSOL.

To locate it, students may need to select “Show My Personal Name and Data” from the drop-down menu in the “Viewing Options” box and then click “Update View”; the CUID/PID number should then be displayed.

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Wait List

The wait list housing process operates after regular fall and spring housing assignments are made.  You will automatically be placed on the wait list if you do not receive a housing assignment.

You will be notified on a rolling basis about coming off the wait list, as space becomes available.  If space does become available, you have 24 hours to accept or decline the offer.

A student’s likelihood of receiving a housing offer during the waitlist process varies from year to year and depends on available units and the demand for apartments across all schools at the University. While it is possible to receive an offer for housing as part of the waitlist process, housing is not guaranteed and it is important to investigate options on the open market while managing your wait list process.

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Transferring Between Rooms/Apartments

Room to Room Transfer requests are accepted on an ongoing basis through April 15. General Transfer and Group Transfer periods are October, November, February, and March, and applications received by the 5th of those months will be considered for each period.  Transfer requests must be submitted through My Housing Portal.

Contact Us

If you have any questions concerning University Housing, please email gs-housing@columbia.edu.

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Non-Columbia Housing

In addition to Columbia's University Apartment Housing, Columbia's Off-Campus Housing Assistance Office (OCHA) provides advice on finding rentals in non-Columbia owned buildings. OCHA maintains a website and online database of available apartments and rooms for rent in the greater metropolitan area. This service, located at 419 W. 119th Street (lower level) and online, is open to all Columbia students, full- and part-time.

The information on the pages linked below is provided as a service to students of the School of General Studies. The School of General Studies does not endorse any of the services, facilities, or resources listed.

Apartment Hunting Resources - Contains links to apartment listings databases, including OCHA, a free service available only to Columbia University students, as well as additional pertinent resources.

Long-Term Housing Options - Contains information on the many different types of long-term residential options available to students in New York. Students are advised to read the requirements for each residence carefully.

Short-Term Housing Options - Prospective students who wish to visit Columbia or students still looking for permanent accommodations may wish to consider the short-term housing options found on this page.

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