Housing & Dining

Amherst is a place where learning includes living. We guarantee housing for all students for all four years. Almost all of our students live on campus. And all first-year students live in dormitories on our first-year quad, right in the heart of campus. Our students eat great meals with great friends in Valentine Dining Hall, which offers delicious dietary options, with food sourced from local farms, including our own Book & Plow Farm.

Office of Residential Life

Our staff includes deans, area coordinators and 62 student resident counselors, all of whom are dedicated to creating a rewarding and valuable residential experience. Learn more about Residential Life.

Residence Halls

Amherst has 34 residence halls. Seven of these buildings are for first-year students. Sophomores, juniors and seniors choose where they live, and housing for them is available in various configurations. Find detailed information about Housing at Amherst.

Seelye House, with brick and white columns, in autumn
Close Caption Lipton Hall

Our residential halls range from traditional to modern, and New England autumns make them all beautiful.

A student plays guitar for an audience in Marsh House cafe
Close Caption Coffee and music in Marsh House

Community is primary at Amherst, where dorms new and old include recreational spaces.

students play ping pong in a recreation room in one of the Greenway Dorms
Close Caption Ping Pong at the Greenway

In designing the creative and colorful spaces in our Greenway Dorms, we didn’t forget the fun.

a student studying in his room in the Greenway with a large window
Close Caption Room for individuality

A quiet space with a beautiful view makes for productive studying.

three students making cookies in a kitchen in the Greenway
Close Caption Community kitchens are for cookies!

Common spaces, including kitchens, are central to our residential housing.

Newport House, brick with white dormer windows
Close Caption Newport House

One of our theme houses, Newport is the Spanish Language House.

Learn about our theme houses

Theme Houses

Some sophomores, juniors and seniors choose to live in theme houses, which allow students who share an interest to be together on the same floor or residence hall.

Dining at Amherst

Our dining locations are bright, cheerful spaces where you can settle in for real conversations. Our food is real too. We use fresh, local ingredients, much of which we grow on our own farm and in our hydroponic greenhouse. Learn more about dining at Amherst.

Studying outside the new Greenway dorms

Gathering Spaces

The college’s four new residence halls are “...the first of three projects that will be the biggest transformation of physical campus since the founding of the College.” — President Biddy Martin

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