The Best Single-Dorm Colleges in America 2024

Who doesn’t love a single dorm? The privacy and freedom that comes with it is golden. You get to study at your pace and customize it just like you want. Also, you don’t need to deal with the challenges of having a bad roommate.

Not all schools offer single rooms, especially for first-year students. Therefore, you’ll need research to get top-notch colleges with single dorms if you want one.

This article will educate you on some single-dorm colleges. You’ll get their description, how much they cost, and other essential details about them.

Can You Get a Single Dorm as a Freshman?

Getting a single dorm as a freshman isn’t impossible. Most colleges leave their single-room dorms for their sophomore and junior students, but you can find schools that offer single dorms for first-year students if you know where to look.

You have to act fast to get a single dorm as a freshman. The reason is that only a tiny fraction of first-year students’ dorms are single rooms for most of these schools. You’ll pay more than double or triple rooms even if you get one.

A simple research will let you know whether your preferred university has single dorm rooms for first-year students.

Top Single Dorm Colleges in 2024

The quality of dorms that a school has has nothing to do with the education that it offers. However, it’s directly proportional to the student’s welfare, which is one of the bedrock of a good education. This section will educate you on some of the schools with the best single dorm rooms in the US.

1. University of Texas at Dallas

The best thing about the single room at the Univerisity of Texas Dallas is that 100% of its freshmen rooms are single dorms. These rooms are usually in apartments of three bedrooms, one living room, and one bathroom, which you’re expected to share with your roommates. You get your much-craved privacy as opposed to the bunker bed college-like rooms.

Its comfortability is why more than half of the school’s first-year students live on campus. As you advance in school, it only gets better. You get more comfortable dorms with added privacy to ensure you can learn in the best way possible. A single room per semester at the University of Texas at Dallas will cost around $4,350.

2. University of Alabama

Upper-class students can enjoy the University of Alabama’s single-room options. It’s available for both freshmen and returning students, and many consider the school’s residence halls one of the best in the US. Therefore, it’s not surprising that 92.8% of the school’s first-year students live on campus.

The single-room dorm available is in two and four-bedroom suites. You can access wireless internet, laundry rooms on the second and fourth floors, and TV lounges. First-year students can also enjoy this luxury. However, get ready to pay over $4,650 per semester to enjoy a single room.

3. University of Pennsylvania

Everyone knows the University of Pennsylvania, one of the best in the US and a member of the Ivy League. Aside from its high academic standards, its dorms are also world-class. It reserves some dorms for students who want privacy, including 20% for first-year students.

It’s easy to get single rooms in your sophomore and senior years. However, you’ll pay nearly $6,083 per semester to get one. The dorm’s location is strategic and puts you amid many top-notch facilities and enjoyable activities. A healthy 100% of Pennsylvania first-year students live on campus because of the exciting campus life and comfortable dorms.

4. Auburn University

Auburn University is another that offers single dorm rooms, but only for its honors students. You get to live in either a four-bedroom or 3-bedroom suite. Both require you to have a room and only share the bathroom with one other suitemate. The campus life is also exciting, and you’ll enjoy the school better if you like football.

If you can’t get the in-campus single room, you can also decide to live off campus. The good thing about living off-campus at Auburn is that many top-notch accommodations exist near the school.

So it’s like you’re living on campus. You also get an elite experience of the beautiful city of Alabama. It costs around $5,540 for a single room per semester at the university.

5. University of Central Florida

Many students living at the University of Central Florida dorms are first-year students. Therefore, most of its single-room options are occupied by them. The school has single-room dorms for its honors first-year students.

Its dorm at the Towers of Knights Plaza is a four-bedroom suite. The suite has a full kitchen, a spacious living area, and a bathroom. You get to share your bathroom with only one of your suitemates.

You can access facilities and amenities like the stadium, arena, bookstore, and retail. The cost of living in the school’s single dorm is relatively cheap compared to others on this list, at around $4,480 per semester. The University of Central Florida has other single-room options for non-honored students that you can explore.

6. Simmons Hall, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Simmons Hall at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the most luxurious student halls in the US. It’s historic, famous, and unique. Simmons Hall has single-room options for both freshmen and returning students. However, the $7,000 per semester cost is high when compared to other dorms on this list.

Simmons Hall features an almost equal balance of study and social facilities. It’s located near many famous places in MIT and will surely make your learning experience at the school memorable.

7. Johnson University

Johnson University is another school that lets you access relatively luxurious single rooms. However, the school doesn’t have many of those, so you might need to hurry if you want one. Also, be prepared to pay more than the regular price, as much as $8,288 for room and board.

The price is all worth it because recreational facilities surround you. You also get unrestricted access to the famous dry Barbecue.

8. University of Virginia

The University of Virginia has single rooms for its first-year and existing students. However, you don’t get to choose and can only pray to get assigned to a single room. If you get lucky, you’ll get one in addition to easy access to the top-notch facilities that surround the residential community.

These facilities include state-of-the-art fitness centers and ultra-modern dining facilities. Plus, you pay similar living costs as in double or triple-room dorms.

All first-year students are mandated to live on campus at the school. Therefore, looking at off-campus accommodations for the University of Virginia if you’re a first-year student is pointless. It costs around $8,370 to reside in the University of Virginia single dorms.

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Single Dorm Room?

The cost for a single room varies depending on the university and your location. Some schools will quote only the price of the rooms per semester, while others will include board fees. You can get the details for prices for specific fees on their websites. However, most university dorms will cost around $5,000 to $15,000 per semester.

Factors that influence the cost of single dorms include the school’s reputation, location, facilities, and the overall comfortability of the accommodation. You should carefully evaluate all these metrics before you hire a single dorm. For instance, paying over $5,000 for a room, not in a good location that gives you access to essential facilities isn’t a good choice.

You should also consider the security of the dormitory. It isn’t worth paying thousands of dollars for your single room only to discover that you’re losing essential properties because there isn’t enough security. The quality of the internet at the dorm is another factor you should prioritize. You’ll do a lot of research, which mandates the importance of the Internet.

Conclusion

Single dorm rooms can be comfortable if you can get them, and many schools in the US have them. However, understand that some schools have better-structured single-student dorms than others.

Also, some have single rooms but assign them to students randomly. Your chance of getting a single dorm at one of these schools isn’t very high. Therefore, they shouldn’t be one of your options if you prioritize a single-room dorm. You should carefully research all your options and select the one that matches your requirements.

Remember that the cost of the single rooms is also essential. You’ll have to pay more than regular dorms, but you shouldn’t spend too much. Compare and contrast the prices of other ones from other schools to get a realistic price range.