University of California - Irvine
- Campus Housing

RT
Currently attending or alumni?
Review this school!
Are you interested
in this school?
Saving your decision
Yes
Maybe
No

Your information has been sent to this school through our partnership with .

This school has been saved to your schools list.

This school has been removed from your recommended schools list.

For your next recommendation, check out .

University of California - Irvine - Campus Housing - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.08

Campus Housing

Quick Stats

On-Campus Housing Available? Yes
Campus Housing Capacity 10,629
Undergrads Living On Campus 36%
Number of Dormitories 34
Best Dorms
  • Arroyo Vista Houses
  • Lago
  • Lorien (part of Middle Earth)

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Rivendell, Isengard, and the Shire, oh my! What could be better than living in a residence complex like Middle Earth, right by Ring Road, and dining at either Brandywine or Pippin? Granted, parents might fear that their children like the The Lord of the Rings just a little too much, but when they visit, they will recognize two things. One, their child isn’t alone. Two, Middle Earth, Mesa Court, and Campus Village offer decent housing at relatively decent prices, although some complain that the Middle Earth complex resembles shabby rundown motels with peculiar hallways and a less-than-social atmosphere. Mesa Court seems to be the favorite, even though it’s a little bit away from the center of campus. However, it's called the “party dorm” and is one of the more social places to live on campus. Middle Earth, a runner-up, is right on campus. The students who occupy the dorms also do their best to form tight-knit social relationships with one another.

Some may still scoff a bit, but considering some of the housing costs around UCI, undergraduate housing becomes a steal, comparatively. Nevertheless, many students still feel ripped off by the mandatory meal plan attachment that comes with living in the dorms freshman year. However, easy access to all lecture halls and other campus facilities make the residence halls a coveted commodity in this commuter-based University and an essential part of the overall college experience.

See how you stack up against students who were accepted to this school . . .And calculate your chances!Register to get started

UC Irvine Student ReviewsWhat's This?

Sort by:

Loading...

Campus Housing at University of California - Irvine

archel

'14

Business

2.7
C+

Dorms

are so expensive and they give us meal plans that we barely finish and they don't roll over. second year, and up there are a few options and most of them you have to share a room all over again. it's waaay to expensive.

Jan 18, 2012

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Campus Housing at University of California - Irvine

kelseyann77

'15

Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

3.8
B+

UCI Freshman Dorms

The freshman dorms at UCI are great. I prefer Mesa Court housing over Middle Earth just because the atmosphere feels more natural and open despite being a little farther from campus than Middle Earth housing. I think that the distance helps some freshman avoid the mythical "Freshman 15." In terms of ethnic diversity, UCI is full of Asians, but everyone is very friendly. It's rather pricy to live in the dorms in comparison to living in the apartments on campus, but I think the "dorm experience" is worth the extra money.

Jan 04, 2012

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Campus Housing at University of California - Irvine

edutool

'15

Criminology

4.6
A

UCI Rocks My Socks

The dorms at UCI are amazing thanks to the facilities, the people in the dorms, and teh R.A. The atmosphere is chill and the conveninece is that the classes are 5 minutes away. Best plae to live!!

Dec 10, 2011

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate campus housing on the following subjects

Facts

Room Types Suite-style living with singles, doubles, and triples
Bed Types Twin extra-long, some lofts, and some bunk-beds
What You Get
  • Bed
  • Bookshelf
  • Cable TV
  • Desk and chair
  • Dresser or closet
  • Ethernet access
  • Mirror
  • Trash can
  • Window coverings
Also Available Special-interest housing

Available for Rent

MicroFridges

Cleaning Service

In common areas only, individual rooms are not cleaned

Did You Know?

The names for the Middle Earth dorms were taken from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

In Mesa Court, each hall has its own theme or specialty where students of certain majors or similar interests can live together, while Middle Earth dorms have theme clusters that group halls of the same themes together.

DormitoriesWhat's This?

Arroyo Vista Housing
Floors: 3 per building
Number of Occupants: About 1,000 students in the complex
Bathrooms: One on main floor of each building, one per suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: First-years, sophomores, juniors, seniors
Room Types: Suites
Special Features: Each building has its own laundry facility and kitchen; the community recreation room has a computer lab, pool table, foosball table, Ping-Pong table, and TV. Arryo Vista is a unique community combining academic theme houses, Greek chapter houses, and some overflow housing. The community shares a recreation room, conference room, and community center.

Campus Village
Floors: 2 per building
Number of Occupants: About 800 students in the complex
Bathrooms: One per suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: Sophomores, juniors, seniors
Room Types: Suite-style apartments with two doubles per suite
Special Features: All apartments have a refrigerator, stove, and microwave; some apartments are furnished; and the community features a center with a fitness room, game room, computer lab, and TV room.

Mesa Court Community Unit I (Arroyo, Bahia, Camino, Cielo, Ciudad, Cuesta, Lago, Loma, Sierra, Viento)
Floors: 2
Number of Occupants: 52 residents in each hall
Bathrooms: Shared by suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: Mostly first-years
Room Types: Suites
Special Features: Each suite shares a lounge and bathroom, and each hall shares a common living room, lounge, kitchen, laundry, and game room; individual halls are special-interest themed each year

Middle Earth Community
Floors: 3 per building
Number of Occupants: 1,500 students in the community
Bathrooms: Shared by suite, coed suites have gender-seperate bathrooms
Coed: Yes, except Rivendell (women only)
Residents: Mostly first-years
Room Types: Suites
Special Features: Basketball and sand volleyball courts, laundry room in each hall, small kitchen in each hall.

Unit II (Brisa, Cumbre, Otero, Prado, Puente)
Floors: 2
Number of Occupants: 66 residents in each hall
Bathrooms: Shared by suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: Mostly first-years
Room Types: Suites
Special Features: Each suite shares a lounge and bathroom, and each hall shares a common living room, lounge, kitchen, laundry, and large main lounge; individual halls are special-interest themed each year

Unit III (Estrella, Nubes, Palo, Vista)
Floors: 3
Number of Occupants: 64 residents in each hall
Bathrooms: Shared by suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: Mostly first-years
Room Types: Suites
Special Features: Each suite shares a lounge and bathroom and each hall shares a common living room, lounge, kitchen, laundry, and large main lounge; individual halls are special-interest themed each year.

Unit IV Hillside Halls (Cascada, Lluvia, Niebla, Ondas)
Floors: 3
Number of Occupants: 61 residents in each hall
Bathrooms: Shared by suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: Mostly first-years
Room Types: Suites
Special Features: Each suite shares a lounge and bathroom, and each hall shares a common living room, lounge, kitchen, laundry, and large main lounge; individual halls are special-interest themed each year.

Unit IV Village (Aldea, Barranca, Laguna, Selva, Isla, Jardin)
Floors: 3
Number of Occupants: 63 residents in each hall
Bathrooms: Shared by suite
Coed: Yes
Residents: Mostly first-years
Room Types: Suites
Special Features: Each suite shares a lounge and bathroom, and each hall shares a common living room, lounge, kitchen, laundry, and large main lounge; individual halls are special-interest themed each year.

Vista Del Campo
Floors: 3
Bathrooms: Suite-style
Residents: Freshmen, upperclassmen
Room Types: Singles
Special Features: Computer lab available at Community Center, gym, pool, newly furnished.

Vista Del Campo Norte
Floors: 3-4
Bathrooms: Suite-style
Residents: Freshmen, upperclassmen
Room Types: Singles, doubles
Special Features: Computer lab available at Community Center, gym, pool, newly furnished.

Buy The Guidebook

Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at UCI

Name: Tracey Xuan Nguyen

Hometown: Hawthorne, CA

Major: Business Economics

see all student author bios > Become a student author to help update the guide for this school