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Residence life will be one of your favorite things about Northwestern because the bonds that start in our halls—through late-night conversations, homework help, and sharing music and movies—turn friends into family. Your NWC residence life experience will be different (and better) than at other colleges for reasons like these:

  • 86% of our students live on campus, and many stay around on the weekends. There’s so much going on, there’s no reason to leave.
  • Our student resident assistants (RAs) and professional resident directors (RDs) staff every wing and hall, so you’ll be known, cared for, and challenged to be your best self.
  • Unlike other colleges, where freshmen-only dorms are the norm, at Northwestern many junior and senior leaders choose to stay in the residence halls to live with and mentor underclassmen. Students say the culture it creates is a highlight of their college experience.

Residence halls

Northwestern has 3 traditional residence halls, 2 suite-style residences and 2 student apartment complexes. Every hall comes equipped with amenities such as coin-operated laundry, community kitchens, study rooms and TV lounges. Each residence hall has their own unique sense of community and memorable traditions making it your home away from home.

Women’s dorms

  • Christy Suites
  • Christy Suites is under construction and will be completed by the fall of 2024. It will house 157 women in suite-style rooms.
    • 3 floors/80 rooms
    • Two 2-person rooms joined by a shared bathroom
    • Modular beds, desks and dressers that can be arranged in various combinations (lofts are not allowed)
    • Sheetrock walls and carpeted floors
    • Air-conditioned
  • Exterior photo
  • Dimensions and layout
  • Atrium lobby photo
  • Study alcoves photo
  • Stegenga Hall
  • Built in 1996, Stegenga Hall—nicknamed Steggy—houses 200 women. Traditions include the Steggy Keggy (with kegs of root beer) and Flapjack Friday eve, a weekly pancake party.
    • 3 floors/102 rooms
    • 2 students/room, shared bathrooms
    • 10'10" x 16'7" rooms with sheetrock walls and carpeted floor
    • Bunk beds, dressers, desks (lofts are not allowed)
    • Air-conditioned
  • Exterior photo
  • Dimensions and layout
  • Take a tour of room 234

 

Men’s dorms

  • Hospers Hall
  • Built in 1965, Hospers Hall houses 100 men. Hall traditions include Coffee House and the annual Cardboard and Duct Tape Battle in the spring.
    • 4 floors/53 rooms
    • 2 students/room, shared bathrooms
    • 11'1" x 15'8" rooms with cinder block walls and carpeted floor
    • Bunk beds, dressers, desks/chairs (Lofts are allowed if you follow  these construction guidelines. Pre-built lofts are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Dana Van Ostrand, dana.vanostrand@nwciowa.edu, to inquire.) 
  • Exterior photo
  • Dimensions and layout
  • Take a tour of room 122
  • Smith Hall
  • Built in 1968 and previously a women’s dorm, Smith will house men beginning in the fall of 2024. It is connected to the campus cafeteria, enabling residents to go to breakfast without having to exit the building. Traditions will include an annual hog roast and more.
    • 3 floors/100 rooms
    • 2 students/room, shared bathrooms
    • 11'6" x 16'3" rooms with cinder block walls and carpeted floor
    • Stackable beds, dressers, desks and shelves that allow for creative and original room design (lofts are not allowed)
  • Exterior photo
  • Dimensions and layout
  • Take a tour of room 210
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