Housing & Dining
There’s more to Penn than academics—like where you’ll be living!
Wondering what dorm life is like here at Penn? Well for starters, as soon as you step foot on campus, you’ll be immersed in Penn’s thriving residential community. As a first-year student, you’ll be part of one of six Undergraduate College Houses that reflect the spirit of the University and the varied interests of our Quakers.
And if that’s not enough to convince you that our resident life is amazing, our first-year college house offerings each have their own personality and unique programming. And we’re not just talking your basic college house activities. Think scenic rooftops, autumn apple picking, late-night brunches and more. So, when we say your Penn resident experience is one you’ll never forget, we really mean it.
Two is Better Than One!
Penn’s Second-Year Experience program includes a two-year housing and dining requirement. All University of Pennsylvania undergraduate students are required to live in on-campus housing for their first four semesters and participate in a dining plan. For more information, please visit Residential Services and Penn Dining websites.
First-Year College Houses
Program Communities
Students may choose to enrich their College House experience with one of our themed program communities. Penn’s thriving program communities include areas related to World Culture and Language, the Arts, Identity and Self, STEM, and Leadership Development. Each program offers the opportunity to live with others who share a common interest, and to enjoy formal and informal discussions, film screenings, meals, site visits throughout Philadelphia, group service work, and more.
Dining
If you haven’t heard, Philly has a famously good food scene (yes, BEYOND soft pretzels and cheesesteaks). And here at Penn, our dining options right on campus are no exception to mouthwatering meals.
Our food is alive with flavor and nutrition, prepared from scratch using authentic, locally sourced ingredients. We're dedicated to plant-forward ingredients, and environmentally friendly and humane farming practices. The result is so good, it’s award-winning! We also have plenty of options to meet all your dietary and religious needs. So, whatever your heart (or stomach) desires, Penn will have something for every palate.
