All exchange students are required to live on Loyola’s campus for the semester(s) attended.  First, internationalizing our campus is important to Loyola, and an integral part of that is having exchange students living amongst our American students.  Second, living on campus at an American university is a vital experience to your semester studying in the US.  American campuses are very unique in that most function as their own communities.  Community is something that we value here at Loyola.  Living in the residence halls provides a chance to have American roommates in order to experience what American college life is all about.  Around 90% of the Loyola undergraduate student body lives on campus, so it is quite busy every day of the week (including weekends).

Loyola’s residence halls were ranked #1 in the United States by the Princeton Review for the 2009 edition.  Exchange students will be placed with upperclassmen, and will be housed in campus apartments.  Apartments vary by size and number of students, but most contain either two or three bedrooms with one or two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living area.  One important thing to note is that bedrooms are shared on most American college campuses, including Loyola’s.  You will be placed with a roommate of the same gender, and all apartments are single gender.

Housing FAQs:

1. What type of apartment will I be living in on campus? All upper-class students on campus live in apartments. They are shared by 4-8 students. Each apartment contains a bathroom, a living area and a kitchen, which are shared by only those that live in that apartment. There are lounges, study areas, computer labs, and laundry facilities in each residential area.
2. What furniture is provided for me? All students will have a bed, dresser, desk, desk chair, and wardrobe or closet.  All living and dining areas are furnished.
3. What size sheets are needed for the beds? You will receive one set of sheets from the Office of International Programs when you arrive.  You will have to pay a $20 deposit for the sheets and other items that we will loan to you for the semester. The beds are extra long and therefore need extra long (80 inches) sheets for a twin bed.  You may also purchase sheets from department stores, etc.  There will be a shopping trip during orientation for you to purchase anything that you need to set up your room.
4. Do I need to bring a telephone and answering machine? No, Loyola Univeristy Maryland is on a centralized phone system and therefore, only Loyola phones will work in the room. Each bedroom is provided a phone and voicemail box. Roommates will share a phone but will be given individual long distance codes.
5. I have a computer, can I bring it? Yes, there is an internet connection available for every resident in the room...just make sure that your computer has an ethernet card so that you will be able to access our network. The cost of internet is included in your housing fee.  (If you have specific computer questions, please contact the Technology Services Office at 1-410-617-5555.)
6. Is it true that Student Life does room inspections? Yes, scheduled room inspections are done to assure the health and safety of our residents. For this reason, students are to bring along their own cleaning supplies and are responsible to maintain a clean room/apartment.
7. Do I get to pick my housing/roommate preferences? No.  International students are placed in apartment openings on campus.  However, Student Life does its best to meet the needs of all of our students and try to honor requests whenever possible.

If you still think that you would like to live off-campus during your semester at Loyola, there are a few other things to consider.  Baltimore does not have a very extensive or reliable public transportation system, so it is very hard to get to and from class without a car if you live off campus (students take taxis to get around the city).  Also, classes at Loyola can run as late as 9:15 PM, and we do not want students walking off campus by themselves late at night.  Finally, it may be difficult to get a short-term lease on an apartment.  Please contact our office if you are seriously considering living off-campus.