As Northeastern prepares for the arrival of thousands of students back for the fall semester, the university will offer more campus housing than ever before.

With the opening of East Village earlier this year, Northeastern now provides more than 9,100 beds for both undergraduate and graduate students. The university has more than doubled its number of student beds since 1998, when it provided 3,663 total Northeastern-owned beds for undergraduate and graduate students. Since then, Northeastern has opened West Village, International Village, Davenport Commons, and other housing that has increased the number by a combined 4,875 beds.

Included in the more than 9,100 total beds are 576 beds the university master leases and maintains full control over. Through its next institutional master plan, Northeastern will also add another 1,000 student beds.

Northeastern requires freshmen and sophomores to live on campus—a requirement that provides students with myriad academic and social benefits and allows them “to get a full experience of living on campus with their peers,” says Marina Macomber, assistant vice president of student affairs at Northeastern.

These benefits, Macomber said, include the broad range of programming and guidance provided by residence director staff and student resident assistants living with students in the residence halls. What’s more, International Village and East Village have faculty in residence who regularly interact with students and develop programming as well.

Living learning communities
Each freshman is placed in a living learning community to help him or her make the most of the first-year experience at Northeastern. Students select their living learning communities, which are areas of residence halls where students share a common lifestyle or academic interest. Some living learning communities are grouped by individual colleges within the university, while others are based on a theme such as community service, living green, leadership, musical motifs, political engagement in the urban society, and the Honors Program. These communities are designed to help students work, bond, and collaborate through their shared interests.

Greater flexibility
As students become upperclassmen, living in university housing also provides benefits as students leave for and return from experiential learning opportunities such as co-op and Dialogue of Civilizations programs, Macomber says.

What’s more, Northeastern earlier this year launched NUterm, an academic option for rising sophomores that provides greater flexibility to customize their learning experiences and offer numerous co-curricular activities that build class spirit and enrich student life. Students can earn up to eight credits through the program, which runs concurrent to Summer I.

Amenities
The number of additional amenities on campus is vast—from the Marino Center and other campus recreational facilities to Snell Library and its cutting-edge Digital Media Commons, which features state-of-the-art technology and space supporting immersive learning and collaboration.

Dining Services offers a range of eateries and food options for students, as well. Students can choose from residence dining like International Village, which features numerous options including kosher and gluten free stations, while many other food options are available in the Curry Student Center and other cafes across campus. Meanwhile, Northeastern’s Xhibition Kitchen, located in the Stetson West Eatery, hosts cooking demos, interactive cooking classes, and other fun food-themed events.

Students’ room rate includes Husky TV and wireless Internet in all residence hall rooms. Students living in on-campus housing also receive $45 in Laundry Bucks per semester that can be used in any residence hall laundry room and can be rolled over into the next semester. As of this summer, all university residence halls now also feature wireless door looks—students tap their ID cards or can even use a mobile app or text messages to open their doors.

Living off campus
Northeastern also provides numerous resources for students living off campus. The Off Campus Student Services office designs programming that promotes connections between the students and their communities, and offers resources and guidance for students on topics like finding apartments, reviewing rental leases, moving tips, and more.