Housing & Dining
Housing at Drake University
Living on campus at Drake University plays a key role in helping students feel connected, supported, and at home from the start. Drake offers a range of on-campus housing options designed to foster community, comfort, and academic success. The University’s six residence halls each have their own character and traditions and feature fully furnished rooms, air conditioning, wireless internet, shared common spaces, and accessible kitchens.
Most first-year students live on campus in double rooms within residence halls that emphasize community-building and connection. Resident Assistants (RAs) live on each floor to help students navigate campus life, support well-being, and host programs that encourage engagement and friendship. Students can request a roommate or be paired based on shared interests, and housing is intentionally connected to academic and co-curricular experiences, including First-Year Seminar courses that help ease the transition to college.
As students progress, additional housing options become available, including suite-style living, university-owned apartments, Greek housing, and nearby off-campus properties. Drake is committed to creating inclusive, welcoming housing experiences for all students and works directly with students to support individual housing needs.
Dining at Drake University
Dining at Drake is designed to be flexible, inclusive, and convenient—so students can fuel their bodies and minds throughout the day. All students living in on-campus housing select a meal plan, while off-campus students may opt in. Meal plans combine all-you-care-to-eat dining with Dining Dollars that can be used across campus dining locations.
Drake’s dining venues offer a wide variety of options to meet diverse tastes and dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, organic, and locally sourced choices. Students can enjoy freshly prepared meals in campus dining halls, grab coffee or snacks between classes, or stop by convenience locations for everyday essentials.
Dining locations across campus—including the central dining hub, cafés, convenience stores, and nationally recognized partners—are designed to fit student schedules and lifestyles. Students can also use Bulldog Bucks, a flexible dining option linked to their Drake ID, at participating on- and off-campus locations.