Second-Year Housing

Transfer students are subject to the same residency requirements and exception policy as traditional first- and second-year Mines students. Transfer students will live within the residential community that best suits their particular circumstance and will be determined by a variety of indicators including (but not limited to) achieved credit hours, prior on-campus living experience, age, and availability.

If students are transferring into Mines at their sophomore year, they will generally live on campus within a sophomore community. Residence Life works to house incoming students appropriately with their peers, so that students can live and learn effectively in the community where they live.

The change in the housing policy will be in effect for students who will be sophomores starting in the Fall of 2026. As such, deferred students from Fall 2024 who will be first-year students in the Fall of 2025 will live on campus for at least two years. 

First-year students live in one of 7 residence halls, each with different offerings. In the first-year residence halls, students live in singles (limited), doubles, triples, and suites. Restrooms are either communal or within the suite. Community kitchens within each building are supplemental only, as rooms and suites do not have in-unit kitchen. Therefore, first-year students are all required to purchase a residential meal plan.

Second-year students live in one of 2 apartment-style communities: 1750 Jackson Street and a brand new building opening in Fall 2026! Each similarly has an array of room types, including double bedrooms and some single bedrooms, within shared apartments. All apartments have full kitchens (refrigerator, stove, range, dishwasher) and living/dining areas within each apartment.

A traditional meal plan, similar to the one required of first-year students living in the residence halls, will not be required of students who live in sophomore apartments or on-campus fraternity and sorority housing. Sophomore apartments are all equipped with full kitchens. Optional meal plans are available for purchase by sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students. The new sophomore apartment opening in Fall 2026 has a café and convenience store located within it. The sophomore apartments at 1750 Jackson are located adjacent to a campus food service outlet (bakery style- breakfast/lunch) and across from a local grocery store, though there is not food service within the building itself.

The Office of Residence Life works closely with the Global Education department to coordinate housing on campus before or after students’ Mines study abroad experiences. Students who study abroad during their first- or second year at Mines will generally be accommodated within the residential community that matches their class year when they return to campus or prior to their program abroad.

We anticipate that sophomore residential students will have the opportunity to purchase a parking permit for campus.

It depends on your unique situation. First-year, second-year, and new transfer students can request to be released from the live-on requirement if they provide documentation that they meet the criteria for exception.

Criteria for exception are as follows:

• Student is married or has a civil union;
• Student is he parent or legal guardian of a child(ren) that resides with them;
• Student is age 21 years or older prior to the first day of classes for the first semester of attendance at Mines;
• Student is transferring from another post-secondary institution where they lived on-campus for two years;
• Student is living at home with their parent/guardian(s) at their parent/guardians’ permanent residence within 20 miles from campus and commuting to campus daily;
• Student is a member of the United States military who has served for one (1) year or more; or
• Other circumstances approved following appropriate review.

It's important to remember that students must request to be excepted before signing their housing contract. After a housing contract is signed, students can only request to break their housing contract, and cancellation penalties may apply.

Your request to be excepted from the live-on requirement can be submitted via our Mines Two-Year Live-On Requirement - Exception Request Form (link).

On-campus housing is not guaranteed after the sophomore year; however, approximately 1,000 students (juniors, seniors, and graduate students) live at the Village at Mines Park on the west edge of campus.