Duke University Freshman Dorms Ranked

Number 5

"Really tiny rooms but it makes up for it with central AC (a MUST during the start and end of the year) and close proximity to the bus stop, the gym, etc. The bathrooms aren't great and the halls are pretty narrow, but it's a freshman dorm, so you shouldn't expect much regardless. Not nearly on par with Bell Tower or Trinity but I'd prefer it to the older dorms on the main quad (Bassett, Giles, etc.)" - 4 years ago

2 student reviewers said they lived in Blackwell during their freshman year

Number 4

"Overall a super nice dorm, it's the most recently built so it's very modern. The amenities are pretty great when they work but the AC and elevator broke down a few times. One con is that it's one of the furthest dorms from the bus and dining hall. However the rooms are really spacious and the common area is also really great." - 4 years ago

3 student reviewers said they lived in Trinity during their freshman year

Number 3

"Community was amazing, and has consistently been amazing since I moved out. Year after year Giles seems to be the most tight-knit of any dorm. Additionally, it's easily the best location on campus. Close to Marketplace, the library, the bus stop, Brodie. It's perfect. I was a freshman during COVID year, so I had a double room all to myself which made the room seem a lot bigger than it was. If I had a roommate, it'd have been pretty tight, but thats the only drawback I can think of." - 2 years ago

3 student reviewers said they lived in Giles during their freshman year

Number 2

"The suite-style housing sounds like a good idea, but really the bathrooms are very small and gross. Also, my suite had eight girls sharing one toilet and two VERY small showers. We also had to clean it ourselves. My room was awesome. It was super big and had a fairly spacious closet. The AC was only from a unit, not central AC, but it did the job. Wilson's location is the best on East Campus, right between the bus stop and Marketplace. Also, the basketball players live in this dorm. It's not a bad dorm, but because of the bathroom I would not recommend this dorm to a friend." - 4 years ago

4 student reviewers said they lived in Wilson during their freshman year

Number 1

"I wish there were more variables to score dorms on, because I honestly didn't think Basset was the hellhole some people make it out to be (although it certainly still had its issues). The main downsides of Bassett are its age (hasn't been renovated in what feels like centuries), extensive mold problem that forced a couple people to move out mid-semester, and things took forever to get fixed (3 weeks in a 60°F room before our heater got fixed... woohoo). The rooms and bathroom were pretty average from my point of view. Bathrooms are communal style but basically what I expected. Rooms really come down to luck of draw, and you can either get stuck in a tiny little closet (like me) or an average to above average sized room if you're lucky. The rooms themselves weren't too bad though and I'd argue no matter what room you get, you will be fine living in it for a couple semesters. I'm someone who likes to do their school work in the dorm room rather than a library or public space and it worked out just fine for me. The main positive about being in Bassett is the social scene. I'm not the most social person in the world but I found myself quickly making friends and hanging out in the common room pretty often. In Bassett everyone bonds over the "suck" of the dorm and has a good time. Even if you aren't a super social person, at least stop in the common room for Duke games... if they are close the place gets ROWDY." - 4 years ago

4 student reviewers said they lived in Bassett during their freshman year