If you are a prospective student preparing for your transition into college, you may be worried about your future student life at your university. What will your living arrangements be like? Will you make friends with other students in your residence hall? Could college dorms and housing ever really feel like home? First, take a deep breath and know you are not alone in these worries surrounding your college life. Luckily, Indiana Wesleyan University offers a top-ranked dorm experience that is designed with students' needs in mind.
What makes the best college dorms?
Voted #1 Best Dorms in Indiana for many years and #15 Best College Dorms in America in 2022 based on student ratings and statistics, Indiana Wesleyan University knows a thing or two about what it takes to offer students the best dorms and college housing in order to foster a positive environment for student life. As a Christian university, IWU believes that faith and learning are communal activities, so we take community building very seriously. Indiana Wesleyan University works hard to give students a fulfilling experience in the best college dorms through the 3 P's: practicality, personalization, and people.
Practicality
Learning is a top priority at Indiana Wesleyan University. We believe most students learn best when they feel like their needs are being met, so they can focus on what is most important.
Three Words: Location, location, location
All dorms and residence halls are located within Indiana Wesleyan University's 350-acre campus, meaning students never have to walk more than half a mile to get to class. Students also have access to the IWU fitness center which is home to fully equipped gyms, basketball courts, a track, and other enriching activities. In addition, all students that attend the University and live on campus have a meal plan that gives them access to the resident dining hall in the Barnes Student Center that is located near the heart of campus.
Living Lavishly
Traditional residence halls provide students with basic amenities such as furniture, free laundry, heat/air-conditioning, high-speed internet, and study rooms, as well as more luxurious modern amenities including access to cable TV in the common area, a chapel, exercise rooms, computer rooms, and a TV lounge.
Safety
Your safety is very important to the University. Residence buildings on campus are close-access and require a key card upon entry. Individual dorm rooms also require keys to unlock and will be provided to students. In addition, all dorms and residence halls are fully staffed with Resident Assistants, an Assistant Residence Director, and a Resident Director who are employed by the University to prioritize student safety.
Personalization
Although we are all dedicated to serving the one true God, Indiana Wesleyan University understands that all students are different. We also believe in a creating an experience within our college dorms that grows and matures with our students. Indiana Wesleyan University offers students many different options of living styles to cater to each individual:
Traditional College Dorms
Open to students with a credit classification of freshman-senior, traditional style residence halls are perfect for students looking for the communal college experience. All freshmen live in traditional dorm rooms. Although Indiana Wesleyan does offer accommodations for students requesting single dorm living arrangements, most students in residence halls live with at least one roommate.
In a traditional hall, students share private bathrooms with a maximum of three other people-your roommate and your suitemates located on the other side of your bathroom.
The IWU-Marion campus is home to six traditional residence halls. Beckett, Evans, Martin, and Reed are all traditional-style women's halls, and South and Hodson are traditional-style dorms for male students.
Suite-style living
Open to students with a credit classification of sophomore-senior, suite-style living offers students a more unique living experience. Students live in 4-8 person suites designed to encourage deepening relationships and fostering community within close friend groups.
Suites have a different layout than traditional residence halls. In a suite, the main door opens into a communal area. The doors to the bedrooms and bathroom are located within the common area.
Indiana Wesleyan University has two halls with the suite-style living option: Scripture Hall is open to female students, and Kem Hall is open to male students.
Apartment Areas
Open to students with a credit classification of junior or senior, on-campus apartments are an option for upperclassman students who are ready to seek a more independent living situation in preparation for their lives after college.
Indiana Wesleyan University has three locations of apartment areas:
The Lodges
There are three two-story Lodges located on the far-east side of campus. The lodges consist of 4 or 6 person fully furnished apartments around a central, spacious lobby area. Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen, a bathroom shared by residents, and a living room.
154 upper-division women reside in the North and South Lodges, and the East Lodge is home to 80 upper-division men.
Townhouses south
The South Townhouses offer two-story apartment layouts to upper-division students living in groups of 6. Each townhouse includes 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a living room, kitchen, and laundry area. In order to encourage closer community, The South Townhouse Community Center acts as a central place for residents to come together. The Front Desk and Resident Director's office are located in the center to assist students.
Townhouses are co-ed; however, students are not permitted to share individual townhouses with members of the opposite sex.
University Court
University Court provides an on-campus living style for married undergraduate students These duplex-style apartments are equipped with a full kitchen, two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a laundry area and mimic the experience of living in houses. University Court provides married students with a mix of private living and intentional community.
Students must have 60+ credits or at least 21 years old to apply for University Court housing.
No matter what living style students pick, they will find a home at Indiana Wesleyan University. The maturity and growth that occur in residential life during students' time living on campus are critical to the overall mission of the University in providing for the future success of each and every graduate.
People
At Indiana Wesleyan University, community sits at the center of student life. Each dorm has its own unique history and culture, as well as a staff dedicated to ensuring students feel welcomed and accepted.
Resident Assistants
Resident Assistants in dorms are fellow students committed to creating a closer community amongst peers. RAs are tasked with holding at least two unit events a semester within their section to promote closer community. Units will have a "Community Connection" every week with the intention of building relationships with more students within a unit.
Resident Directors
Resident Directors are adults who serve as leaders of their dorm. Resident Directors live on campus within the communities they serve. Each student, no matter what living style they reside in, will have a resident director to cultivate community and ensure safety. Resident directors head larger events for the entire dorm. They are also tasked with choosing and training their resident assistants, as well as holding weekly meetings with dorm leaders to support these students through their positions.
Assistant Resident Directors
Assistant Resident Directors support the Resident Directors in their leadership roles in the dorms. They also live on campus in community with students and take charge in keeping dorms running smoothly.
It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a tight-knit community to ensure each student is growing in multiple aspects of life from the time they are freshmen to when they walk the stage at graduation. As a Christian university, IWU recognizes the importance of this time in the life of a student by placing a strong emphasis on the ways communal living can shape and transform residents in integration with their liberal arts college experience.
Don't Take Our Word for It!
Here are some comments from real students who attend Indiana Wesleyan University and live in on-campus housing:
"One of the reasons I chose to stay in a traditional dorm after my freshman year was the amazing community in Reed. They all are very accommodating [and] intentional about listening and talking to you about accommodations and making it work out. Everyone on staff in the dorm has a role in including people and putting people together that they think would get along. [Living in a dorm] at a christian university has made me more open-minded to the differences we all share while loving one God. I don't think that experience is the same at other universities.”
- Anonymous Student Class of 2025
"I really do think the University has the best college dorms. I loved my dorm so much I chose to be an RA. Being a Resident Assistant helped me learn what it looks like to help cultivate a community. Communities have lots of moving pieces and many different people with different personalities, and I really enjoyed getting to support other students through that."
- Anonymous RA Class of 2024
Want to read more about how Indiana Wesleyan University ranks in having some of the best college dorms in America? Browse recently released student ratings and reviews at https://www.niche.com/colleges/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/#reviews