RIT Freshman Dorms 2026

What to bring to RITdorms — and what’s already there

Every RITfreshman hall includes the same base furnishings. Skip anything already in your room, pack what’s missing, and leave the banned items at home.

⚠ Causing an avoidable fire alarm or falsely activating one can bring a fine up to $200 under the housing Terms & Conditions, on top of possible arrest or additional Student Conduct sanctions.

⚠ Only RIT-purchased and RIT-assigned elevated beds may be raised — students may not bunk or raise their own beds, and bed risers are capped at 7.25 inches with none permitted under beds already raised to 5 feet.

⚠ There is no age-based or veteran-status exemption from the first-year residency requirement, and no fixed deadline is published for requesting a release — students should request one as early as possible through RIT Housing.

⚠ Move-in is by appointment only; students must submit and get approval on their RIT ID photo before an appointment slot becomes available, and arrivals after 11pm must find off-campus lodging for the night.

See the full RIT packing checklist →

Common questions about RIT dorms

Are all RIT residence halls air conditioned?

Yes. The Incoming First-Year FAQ states plainly: "All residence halls and all rooms at the RIT Inn have air conditioning." Kate Gleason, Sol Heumann, Mark Ellingson, and Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry Halls are each individually described as air-conditioned on their own housing pages.

Can I loft or bunk my own bed?

No. RIT's housing Terms & Conditions state: "Only lofted beds purchased by RIT housing and assigned to specific housing units are allowed to be lofted. Residents may not bunk or loft beds." Students who want extra under-bed space may add bed risers up to 7.25 inches instead.

When is fall 2026 move-in for incoming first-years?

Monday, August 17, 2026, 8am-6pm, and Tuesday, August 18, 2026, 8am-1pm, both by appointment only. Summer Vestibule Program students move in separately on Sunday, August 9. Appointment access opens only after a student's RIT ID photo is submitted and approved.

Is first-year housing required at RIT?

Yes. All entering first-year students must live in an RIT Housing first-year community for their first academic year. Exemptions exist for students living with a parent within 30 miles, marriage, active military call-up, academic suspension or graduation, co-op/resident-teaching/study-abroad placement, withdrawal or leave of absence, and DSO-approved accommodations — RIT does not publish an age or veteran-status exemption.

What size bed and how much clearance underneath does an RIT dorm room have?

A Twin XL mattress on a fixed frame set roughly 28 inches off the floor, campus-wide. Students cannot raise or bunk these beds themselves; the only permitted adjustment is a bed riser up to 7.25 inches, and none are allowed under beds already set at 5 feet.