Residential Policy
Living on campus is one of the five pillars of the Wheaton College undergraduate experience, along with academic engagement, worshiping together in chapel three times a week, co-curricular involvement, as well as stewardship of individual and community health. Wheaton’s Residence Life program contributes to the College’s mission of educating whole persons to build the Church and serve the needs of societies worldwide. Wheaton College is committed to a residential experience because we believe living on campus creates a powerful context for learning. Impactful life-to-life encounters occur daily when students live together in community.
Therefore, as a condition of attending Wheaton College, undergraduate students are required to live on campus in College-owned residence halls, apartments or houses all four years.* Students are given options to experience various types of residential communities. All first-year students and most second-year students live in one of two residence halls, Fischer or Smith-Traber. Some second-year students, along with some third- and fourth-year students live in upper-class residence halls, McManis-Evans or Williston. Many third and fourth-year students live in campus apartment and house communities. We believe that students who engage in authentic community where they work to know and love one another as well as bear one another’s burdens are more likely to experience the transforming hope of the Gospel.
Our belief is that because of living in intentional community, students will:
- Grow in Christ-likeness;
- Learn more about themselves;
- Develop habits of healthy living;
- Experience meaningful relationships;
- Value and engage in Christ-Centered diversity efforts;
- Apply learning from the classroom to their lives; and
- Better understand their responsibility to as well as their role in the communities in which they engage.
The College's desire is that students catch a vision for living the rest of their lives in authentic Christian community wherever the Lord leads them.
*Exceptions are granted for fifth-year students, married students, students participating in the Human Needs and Global Resources program, students who choose to live with their parent(s) and commute, third and fourth-year engineering and nursing students enrolled in the 3/2 program, and part-time students. A limited number of students may be granted permission to live off campus through the Housing Selection Process if Wheaton does not have enough housing for students in a given year.