Purdue University Dorms Ranked

Lived here in a 3 person high rise unit 2013-14 school year and friends lived in 2014-15 in 2 person low rise units so im well versed here. The units are indeed in nees of an update they are old but not awful. Had no major problems. They annoyance in my unit was the fridge blocked out kitchen light and needed a ruler to switch it on sometimes. The roominess was much appreciated compared to some of the other dorms although the ac doesnt really reach into the bedroom if yours is seperated.

The main complaint everyone says is the distance. Its not god awful and there is the bus that run right in front of it.

Id rather be here than most of the other dorms. Also enjoyed making my own meals. - 2 years ago

While Aspire was basically my only option to choose from, I was really excited to move in here. With the full kitchen, living space, and washer and dryer in unit, it was a big step up from the average dorm. The amenities are very nice, and if anything broke, the maintenance people would show up the next day. The full kitchen is totally worth it if you like to cook some of your meals. The bathroom was very spacious, and I only shared it with one person. The bedroom had a full bed instead of a twin and had carpet instead of cold tile floor - definitely felt more like a bedroom than my dorm room ever did. The location is a little far, but it is a straight shot down State Street. My only complaints are that it got a little lonely because I didn't know my roommates and we would all just shut our bedroom doors and not talk to one another and that the walls are pretty thin, so you can hear your roommates watching tv or people talking in the hallway. If you have the money, I'd definitely recommend it because you get what you pay for. - 2 years ago

Pros:
- Very close to academic campus, only rival to closeness is probably Hawkins Hall.
- Cary NW, NE, East, and West have renovated rooms, with decently sized rooms, modern bathrooms, and easy to use air-conditioning and heating.
- Ford Dining Court directly across the street towards the Purdue watertower, and The Burrow is in Carry NE.
- Believe it or not (atleast for Cary NE, and probably the renovated buildings) the dorms are quiet.
- Many dorm/floor sponsored events during the semester.
Cons:
- Not enough Residence Hall parking at Cary. Plus you have to move your car when there is any games.
- Can by noisy during game days, but simply leaving the dorm during those times or actually just attending the games solves this issue.
- Arguably not enough washers/dryers, somewhat typical of all dorms.
- "Far" away from the centralized part of Residential Campus (3rd Street and around Earhart) ~15 min walk to Earhart.
- Cary South (Notorious for small rooms and being unairconditioned) - 2 years ago

I loved living in Earhart as a freshman! Everyone - from the students living in the dorm to the maintenance staff - was super welcoming and friendly. I loved studying in the open area on the first floor and that students there would just chill despite not knowing each other. To add, I'd say I experienced a more diverse community there compared to other dorms. I've had people from other dorms visit me and be a bit surprised with how diverse it is compared to their dorms. I was also very fortunate enough to have floor mates who maintained cleanliness in the communal bathrooms. The only cons I'd say is that closet space can be small, but that may just be a personal preference. Also, sometimes the driers in the laundry room wouldn't heat up and my clothes would still be damp after using them. - 2 years ago

I lived in Shealy hall on the third floor. This building was my favorite of all the Windsor building, mainly because of the study area on the first floor. The recreational space in the basement was top-notch, despite the kitchenette being a little cruddy. The tunnels to get around the basements are a little sketch, but not that bad. There are only laundry rooms in two of the basements (Duhme and Vawter i think), so hauling your hamper to another building was a bit of a hike. My absolute favorite thing about Windsor had to be the workout room in Duhme. The equipment was relatively nice, there were plenty of weights and resistance bands, and as long as you didn’t go between 6 and 10pm you could oftentimes have the room to yourself.

Our room was a little narrow, but had a great little nook area that fit a 5ft futon perfectly. Almost all of the rooms in windsor have a different layout, so try to find a floorplan and choose your specific room. I’ve heard of people getting bugs in their rooms due to the age of the building, but my roommate and I only had one incident with a spider early on in the year. Our room also had a newer AC/heater, so that was pretty nice.

The bathrooms on my floor were ok. There was one private bathroom with it’s own shower, toilet, and sink and mirror, and I would wait to shower if that one wasn’t free. The other showers just had curtains (no stall doors) and were right across from a bank of windows, so it got super chilly in the winter. - 4 years ago

I love the suite style dorms. The private bathroom really helped with my comfort level in the dorms and the rooms were spacious and air conditioned. The building is a little older and somewhat far from academic campus, but that never felt like much of a downside to me. Lounging areas and basement were really nice, and although the dining hall didn’t usually serve my favorite foods it was convenient for days i didn’t feel like leaving the building. This dining hall also has the option to purchase a to go box to leave the dining hall with food which was also very convenient for me. - 4 years ago

After finishing my first year living at Meredith South, I think it is one of the best dorms to live at on campus. This year it was an all girls dorm. It’s new and modern with easily accessible amenities.

The rooms are spacious with a big room giving natural light. The view from the dorm on the back side is nice too because you can see third street and Ross Aide. However, I recommend bringing extra dressers or shelves (horizontal space) as there is little storage space. The room also had a drawer that could be secured shut with your own lock. I have a photo below of my dorm, but know the hooks do not come with the dorm. The fridge and microwave set was also rented for the year from the university’s service. I was in a double on the fourth floor. Note the quads are also pretty spacious, but once again little storage space.

The layout of the dorm is three “pods” on each floor with their own set of bathrooms. So you share the bathrooms with maybe 30-40 girls, not the whole floor. As for the bathrooms, there are two private and one communal bathrooms, all cleaned everyday around noon. The sinks, showers, and toilets are all newer (no stains, old handles).

On each floor, there is plenty of study spaces, including a TV in A pods and private, soundproof room in C pods. These spaces also have plenty of natural lighting. As for food, there is a panera and qdoba by the lobby (very busy during meal swipe hours). Please let me know if you have any questions! - 2 years ago

For a single-room dorm, First Street rooms are spacious enough for a small VR playspace and other full body activities—even without a bed loft. The amenities are very nice, which include a study space and two small lounges (both with a kitchen sink, microwave, and TV) on each floor, as well as two laundry rooms (with 2 washers and dryers) that come at no charge. The cleaning staff also come once a week to clean your bathroom, and each room has their own adjustable A/C. The bathroom is small in size (~20-25 sq/ft), but its maintained weekly and is very clean. With all that being said, the only disadvantage is the dorm’s location from classes; I have to walk at least 20-30 mins to my classes near the Engineering fountain, so I’d recommend investing in a bike, skateboard, bus or other mode of transport if you don’t like leaving early. - 2 years ago

I lived here my sophomore year, which was the very first year this new building opened to students, and I really liked it because it was so new. The suite style rooms hold 2 double rooms, a private shower, a private toilet, and a common area where the sinks and front door are. The beds are able to be lofted or raised, but the closets are small and they don't have a sliding door to hide what's inside so you have to install your own curtain if you want to. There are multiple modern study spaces on each of the 6 floors as well as a Chick-Fil-A and Jersey Mikes (both accept meal plan swipes) on the first floor of the building. This residence hall is one of the closest to the academic side of campus but still right across from the Corec and other dining halls like Wiley or Windsor. I posted a full dorm tour on my YouTube channel so feel free to watch it for a better idea of what I'm describing! Link to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QXxbHKqh6Q - 2 years ago

Lived here in a triple (regular not converted) for this past year! If you hvae the option, get a regular triple. It is the most square footage per dollar and could fit many people. It is kinda set up like a double with an extra little room off to the side (I was in the "side room" (there was no door to close it off)) and have a lot of room for walking around.

Pros:
- SUPER central, everything is a 5-10 minute walk
- Much newer which means, new AC, new furniture, and new appliances
- Lounges galore! I lived in South (all-girls) and there were three lounges on every floor not counting the main lobby. Typically you could find someone else out there doing the same assignment as you
- Pod style bathrooms. There is one communal bathroom (2 toilets, 2 showers, and 3 sinks) and one guest bathroom (can close and lock the door to have toilet, shower, and sink to yourself) per every six-ish rooms on the floor
- Great community! I ended up meeting a lot of super sweet girls since we were all in the same bathroom together all year
- Great RAs! Not only are they all super kind and helpful but they plan pretty fun events that are worth going to if you have the time (LOTS of free food and goodies!)
- With smart people. You're living with everyone in honors so chances are you're going to meet some really smart people that can help you out with classes and assignments
- Mandatory honors class is held in the honors dorms. North and south both have classrooms, and they can be held in either one but it's super neat to have one of your classes in your residence hall.

Cons:
- Be careful of the washers and dryers! I ended up finding the ones I knew I could rely on to not ruin my clothes but only after ruining a couple items of clothing first
- Elevators suck. They take forever and are programmed weird, so they end up passing up your floor a lot. I recommend just taking the stairs when you can.
- Smelly bathroom. This just happened to be the bathroom that was closest to our room because the one down the hall didn't have this issue but ours smelled awful
- Not allowed to have curtains. I wanted to bring blackout curtains to block the light because it's super bright in the mornings but they are not allowed (I brought mine anyway and just took them down for room checks) - 6 days ago