Loyola University Chicago Dorms Ranked

"Pros: If you live on the 6th floor or above, you can count on a pretty nice view of the L, the lake, or the city! There is plenty of space to store your things if you live in a double; however, if you live in a triple like I did, there are only 2 closets so I'd recommend some extra storage bins/shelves. Also, you will likely get a corner room if you are assigned to a triple which means double the windows! You don't have to worry about buying your own toilet paper, hand soap or cleaning the bathroom yourself since they are communal. There is plenty of wall space to personalize your area, too. There is a communal laundry room and kitchen as well as tables to study, couches and a TV on the first floor. I always ran into someone cooking/baking, and it was a good way to make friends! It's also an opportunity to bond when you meet someone new if you both live in Mertz. Take advantage of living around your friends because you'll miss it, especially if you're on the same floor. Mertz's central location is also one of it's biggest pros, since you are right across from Damen (which means less walking in the cold, cause let's be real- the weather super cold about 70% of the school year), a 5-8 minute walk from all class buildings, and right across the street from the Loyola red line station. Oh, and you are really close to the beach, which is great when it's warm out or you just want to feel more connected to nature. Cons: There isn't a whole lot of space for having people over, especially if you live in a triple, since there's barely enough room for 3 people living in it, anyways. The walls are pretty thin and you can hear music/talking/other things from the rooms on each side of you. Bunk beds if you're in a triple; I was lucky enough to have the bottom bunk, but if you have a top bunk, there is about 5 inches of space between your face and the ceiling. The carpets are dirty, full of hair and lint, and they are hard to clean, even if you have a vacuum. The bathrooms can also get pretty grimy (do NOT overestimate the cleanliness of girls), people tend to leave hair on the shower walls and sinks, and the toilets are self explanatory. The elevators are not super reliable, there is usually 1 out of service, and for 19 floors, it can make you late for class, so make sure you're leaving early enough to account for that. Same for coming back to your room- long line for the elevators heading back from class. Take the stairs if you can. Laundry can be competitive in the evenings, so I'd recommend washing your clothes either later at night or morning-early afternoon. And I do not recommend living with a friend from high school. Random roommates usually turn out OK. Moving in and out (especially moving out) is pretty hard since the entrance/exit of the building is not on the ground, there are stairs. Even if you get access to a key ID for the lower level, you still have to go down stairs. There is also limited parking on Loyola Ave. "

"Pros: wood flooring, large windows, lots of closet space, next to gf dining hall and next to red line train. Cons: train is loud, the building is old."

"This building is so nice and it's environmentally friendly. I lived in a triple, which was not bad as long as you get along with your roommates. The rooms are a nice size and the bathrooms are clean most of the time. They have individual stalls for toilets and all the shower stalls also have toilets. The stalls are big and have a full door, not a public bathroom type door. The location is great, it's right across from a building with a dining hall and very close to classes (less than 5-10 minute walk to most buildings.) It's also by the Granville stop on the L and has a huge study space and a little cafe on the ground floor for everyone. It does have a lot of fire alarms though, the most of any on campus every year. There are common lounges on every floor and three of them have kitchens and three floors have laundry. Two floors have water bottle fillers."

"Santa Clara is located in the north side of campus. It mostly consists of upperclassmen. The rooms are clean and spacious. There is a kitchen in each unit and a living area. The laundry is on the first floor along with a common space. There is also a 24 hour desk reception."