Rating UCSD College Dorms Based on the Location and Convenience

Going into college, dorm life is super important and luckily, here at UCSD, you have a wide variety to choose from. UCSD prides itself in its constantly increasing amount of dorms so that students aren’t struggling over a housing crisis. Here at UCSD, there’s many different dorms to choose from, with very different locations and environments to be around. Here’s a little guide of all the UCSD dorms, ranked based on convenience of location, along with a brief description.

Sixth

No matter what, Sixth is always going to be on top for UCSD dorm lists because it’s an all rounder. Not only is Sixth fairly new, but it’s also central campus with lots of great food options around it. Sixth has arguably one of the better dining halls, with a wide variety of food, but there’s also places such as Blue Bowl, Plant Power, and coffee and boba shops in the same area. All the dorms in sixth have easy access to study lounges, computer labs, a walk-in market, and a basketball court. Sixth also has a great lawn to chill on sunny days and an accessible rooftop with an amazing view of the beach.

Eighth

Eighth dorms are some of the most recent dorms built which makes it very appealing to most students. Living in any dorm in eighth has great advantages such as a gym (outdoor and indoor), diverse dining hall, and small diners and coffee shops nearby. Like Sixth, there’s also a walk-in market and plenty of study spaces. The only disadvantage is that it’s a bit further from the rest of campus. The walk isn’t so bad though with coffee shops along the way and unique buildings to look at.

Seventh

Like Eighth college dorms, the dorms are a bit further from central campus. While the dorms are modern, what typically draws people away is the distance. However, it’s not an issue because of the inside and outside loop buses that run around campus. Some great features of the Seventh dorms are the game room, Bistro the sushi restaurant, and its close proximity to places like the gym and PC cafe. It almost makes the further distance worth it.

Pepper Canyon West

This is mainly transfer housing but this is UCSD’s newest addition in terms of dorms. Just finished this past summer, Pepper Canyon West is very new and a win for the transfer community at UCSD. While it’s still a walk from central campus, it’s very close to the trolley, amphitheater, and not too bad of a walk to Price Center, a building with lots of great food options for those without a dining plan. Pepper Canyon West is definitely an upgrade from the previous transfer housing, Pepper Canyon East, with a game room, gym, and study lounges on every floor. The only con to Pepper Canyon West is that it’s still not near any dining hall so the closest place to get food with your dining dollars is Foodworx. It’s only a matter of time till you get sick of the pizzas and occasional sandwiches..

Muir

Here’s where the dorms get less modern. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with them and there’s great advantages in nice locations as well, I'm just prefacing. On top for slightly older dorms, I’m giving it to Muir college dorms. Muir has a very industrial, concrete, almost maze runner aesthetic but it’s still on central campus. Located right next to Sixth college, Muir is ideal in terms of location. The dining hall has some standard food that honestly isn’t bad and there’s also Mom’s Cafe that’s great for studying and catching up with your friends. Muir is also right next to the infamous Sun God lawn so on a bright day out, there’s an idea for your plan of the day!

Revelle

The dorms aren’t that modern, but you know what, the rest of the area is. Revelle is located near eighth but you’re a bit closer to central campus. Like eighth dorms, there’s easy access to the main indoor and outdoor gym, you’re a couple steps away from one of the best quads on campus, and there’s some great diners nearby. The dining hall, 64 degrees, is also open late with Randy’s Donuts located right inside.

ERC

ERC dorms are unique and deserve a shout out because of the I-House, the dorm specifically designed for International students. The dining hall nearby is such a great open space to be in as well, whether you’re just eating or studying. The dorms honestly seem outdated in comparison to other UCSD dorms but are the standard UC dorms. UCSD students might just be a little spoiled with dorm life.

Additional note: word on the street is that I-house throws some pretty fun parties..

Marshall

Marshall is also one of the older dorms but has some great qualities. While the dorm itself isn’t the most modern, Marshall has one of the best dining halls around it, Ocean View Terrace. Marshall is also just a short distance from the gym and PC cafe, and a straight path away from central campus. While the dorm itself may not stand out, there are some redeeming qualities that give Marshall some charm.

Warren

This is when there’s a bit more distance from central campus. A bit further from the main campus and on the other side of the road, we have Warren dorms. Warren is also not as modern as some other dorms but has a great courtyard with hammocks and a volleyball court to enjoy. For any engineer majors, Warren dorms might be the move because most of your classes will be in the Warren buildings nearby.

Rita

These last two rankings are up to debate. Rita is one of the three transfer housings provided and is also quite a walk and a hill away from central campus. However, the dorms are fairly new and while it may seem secluded, there’s still a very lively sense of community in the building.

Pepper Canyon East

Pepper Canyon East is the third transfer housing offered and is considered extremely old. It’s also soon to be demolished now that there’s Pepper Canyon West so these dorms aren’t staying for long. As someone who stayed here, you either get extremely lucky like I did with very few roommates, or you have a crowded house. Pepper Canyon East is especially the least favorable in comparison to the other dorms on campus because of the distance from main campus, being an almost fifteen minute walk- just to get to the library. The climb just to go onto main campus feels like a struggle everyday, but there’s a charm to these camp lodge dorms too.