On-Campus Housing
You can find on-campus housing at all four-year UW System campuses, as well as eight of the UW Colleges campuses. Most on-campus housing comes with furniture such as a bed, desk, and dresser, a cable TV hookup, internet, and utilities such as heat and water. Housing options and availability vary by campus.
How Much Does On-Campus Housing Cost?
Each campus determines its own housing costs, taking into account the type of accommodations offered (single room vs. double room, suite vs. shared space, etc.) and the market value of rent in the surrounding community. Housing is offered at a set price for the entire academic year. Use the student budget builder to estimate your housing and dining costs.
To reserve your spot in a particular residence hall or on-campus apartment, complete an application, sign a contract, and submit the deposit or prepayment the campus housing office requires. A prepayment gets applied to your housing payment, while a deposit is refunded to you at the end of the school year if you follow the rules stated in your contract.
For more information on housing options, costs, and policies, as well as meal plans, contact your campus housing office.
Campus | Deposit/prepayment required with contract | Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
---|---|---|
UW-Eau Claire |
You’ll be guaranteed a spot in a UW-Eau Claire residence hall once you submit your housing application and $100 enrollment deposit by May 1. The UW-Eau Claire housing application system is easy to navigate through an online portal, and you’ll be able to keep track of important dates throughout the housing process. |
Students have until May 1 to update housing contract preference including roommate and living learning community preferences as well as to cancel housing contract. |
UW-Green Bay |
A $50 housing deposit is required. |
A $50 application fee is required at the time the Housing contract is submitted. This fee is non-refundable. |
UW-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus |
No housing deposit required. |
|
UW-La Crosse |
A $150 housing deposit is required. |
Contract cancellations prior to May 1 will receive a full refund of the $150 deposit. Cancellations made prior to May 1 do not need to go through a formal cancellation process. After May 1, the entire $150 deposit will be forfeited. |
UW-Madison |
Contracts will require a $75 non-refundable contract fee in addition to a $225 advance payment that is paid when the contract is signed |
Is refundable if the student notifies housing before May 1st of non-attendance at UW-Madison. |
UW-Milwaukee |
A $100 housing deposit is required. |
Contracts must be canceled before June 1, if students wish to recoup $50 of their $100 Deposit. Contracts canceled on or after this date will forfeit all $100 of the Contract Deposit regardless of the date when the contract was submitted. |
UW-Milwaukee at Washington County |
No housing deposit required. |
|
UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha |
No housing deposit required. |
|
UW-Oshkosh |
A $75 deposit is required. |
|
UW-Oshkosh, Fond du Lac Campus |
Housing deposit varies. |
|
UW-Oshkosh, Fox Cities Campus |
Housing deposit varies. |
|
UW-Parkside |
A $50 contract fee is required. This fee is non-refundable. |
A $50 contract fee is required. This fee is non-refundable. |
UW-Platteville |
A $150 housing deposit is required. |
Please see UW-Platteville’s Residence Life Room Reservations website for contractual considerations for refund and forfeiture. |
UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County |
A $275 housing deposit is required. |
The reservation fee is refundable until the lease is signed. |
UW-River Falls |
A $135 housing deposit is required. |
|
UW-Stevens Point |
A housing deposit is not required. |
|
UW-Stevens Point at Marshfield |
A housing deposit is not required. |
|
UW-Stevens Point at Wausau |
A housing deposit is not required. |
|
UW-Stout |
A $125 housing deposit is required. |
UW-Stout housing contract stipulations. |
UW-Superior |
A housing deposit is not required. |
|
UW-Whitewater |
A $125 housing deposit is required. |
|
UW-Whitewater at Rock County |
No housing deposit required. |
Campus | UW-Eau Claire |
---|---|
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
You’ll be guaranteed a spot in a UW-Eau Claire residence hall once you submit your housing application and $100 enrollment deposit by May 1. The UW-Eau Claire housing application system is easy to navigate through an online portal, and you’ll be able to keep track of important dates throughout the housing process. |
Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
Students have until May 1 to update housing contract preference including roommate and living learning community preferences as well as to cancel housing contract. |
Campus | UW-Green Bay |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $50 housing deposit is required. |
Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
A $50 application fee is required at the time the Housing contract is submitted. This fee is non-refundable. |
Campus | UW-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
No housing deposit required. |
Campus | UW-La Crosse |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $150 housing deposit is required. |
Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
Contract cancellations prior to May 1 will receive a full refund of the $150 deposit. Cancellations made prior to May 1 do not need to go through a formal cancellation process. After May 1, the entire $150 deposit will be forfeited. |
Campus | UW-Madison |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
Contracts will require a $75 non-refundable contract fee in addition to a $225 advance payment that is paid when the contract is signed |
Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
Is refundable if the student notifies housing before May 1st of non-attendance at UW-Madison. |
Campus | UW-Milwaukee |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $100 housing deposit is required. |
Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
Contracts must be canceled before June 1, if students wish to recoup $50 of their $100 Deposit. Contracts canceled on or after this date will forfeit all $100 of the Contract Deposit regardless of the date when the contract was submitted. |
Campus | UW-Milwaukee at Washington County |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
No housing deposit required. |
Campus | UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
No housing deposit required. |
Campus | UW-Oshkosh |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $75 deposit is required. |
Campus | UW-Oshkosh, Fond du Lac Campus |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
Housing deposit varies. |
Campus | UW-Oshkosh, Fox Cities Campus |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
Housing deposit varies. |
Campus | UW-Parkside |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $50 contract fee is required. This fee is non-refundable. |
Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
A $50 contract fee is required. This fee is non-refundable. |
Campus | UW-Platteville |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $150 housing deposit is required. |
Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
Please see UW-Platteville’s Residence Life Room Reservations website for contractual considerations for refund and forfeiture. |
Campus | UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $275 housing deposit is required. |
Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
The reservation fee is refundable until the lease is signed. |
Campus | UW-River Falls |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $135 housing deposit is required. |
Campus | UW-Stevens Point |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A housing deposit is not required. |
Campus | UW-Stevens Point at Marshfield |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A housing deposit is not required. |
Campus | UW-Stevens Point at Wausau |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A housing deposit is not required. |
Campus | UW-Stout |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $125 housing deposit is required. |
Deadline for refund of deposit/prepayment |
UW-Stout housing contract stipulations. |
Campus | UW-Superior |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A housing deposit is not required. |
Campus | UW-Whitewater |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
A $125 housing deposit is required. |
Campus | UW-Whitewater at Rock County |
Deposit/prepayment required with contract |
No housing deposit required. |
Do I Have to Live on Campus?
There’s a reason most freshmen live on campus, in university-operated residence halls: It’s an excellent way to start the college experience. For starters, there are tons of services and resources located steps from your living space, from cafeterias with student-friendly hours to resident advisors with all sorts of knowledge about campus life. Other perks include:
- Close proximity to your classrooms and other campus buildings
- Easy access to laundry machines, fitness centers, and bike storage
- Meeting others experiencing challenges and transitions similar to yours, whether it’s finding the chemistry lab or being away from home for the first time
- Connecting with students taking some of the same introductory courses as you
- Getting to know people from around the state, the country, or even the world
- Attending residence hall events where you can make friends and gather useful information
- Having your rent paid ahead of time, so you don’t need to pay a landlord each month
Freshmen and sophomores at many UW System schools must live on campus unless they live with a parent or guardian within 40 miles of campus. Students who are 21 years old or finished high school at least two years ago may be granted an exception to the requirement, which applies to these UW campuses:
- UW-Eau Claire
- UW-La Crosse
- UW-Milwaukee (freshmen only)
- UW-Oshkosh
- UW-Parkside
- UW-Platteville
- UW-River Falls
- UW-Stevens Point
- UW-Stout
- UW-Superior
- UW-Whitewater
Have questions? Contact the residence life office at your campus.
Meal plan information
Meal plans vary from school to school. Some schools have structured plans that offer a specified number of meals for a certain price. Other schools give students an account they load with money for purchasing meals and snacks at campus dining halls.