Housing Contract and Lottery
Caltech guarantees housing for first-year and transfer students and offers a wide range of living accommodations for returning students through a lottery. First and second year students are also required to live in campus housing. Every spring, undergraduates must participate in a housing lottery in order to secure housing for the following academic year or summer research period. Please read the lottery procedures thoroughly.
Students
Incoming students are guaranteed housing and will live in one of the 8 undergraduate houses or in the Bechtel Residence. Students have the option to request a permanent assignment in Bechtel before arrival in the fall; otherwise, students will be assigned a temporary housing assignment until the end of Rotation at the beginning of fall term.
If you have a need for special housing arrangements due to a disability, please register for accommodations through Caltech Accessibility Services for Students.
Returning students will participate in a housing lottery process to select housing for the following academic year. Details and a timeline for this process are available near the start of spring term. Additionally, students participating in summer research programs on campus will be able to select housing for summer during a separate summer housing lottery.
Returning students seeking housing after the lottery process has been completed or at any other time during the academic year should email us to inquire about availability.
Caltech students participating in summer research programs on campus or in the local area will be able to select housing for the summer housing period during a separate summer housing lottery process. The summer housing period begins immediately after the spring term housing period and runs the duration of the 10 week SURF research program. Housing outside of these dates is not guaranteed.
Caltech students seeking summer housing after the lottery process is completed or at any time up until the start of the summer contract period should email us to inquire about availability.
Contracts
Rates, Fees, & Deadlines
2021-22 Academic School Year
All undergraduate residences have a base rate of $3,466.00 per person, per term. For the purpose of calculating fees, academic terms are defined as:
- Fall Term: September 24, 2021, to December 20, 2021
- Winter Term: December 21, 2021, to March 17, 2022
- Spring Term: March 18, 2022, to June 11, 2022
Summer 2022
All Caltech students living in undergraduate residences have a base rate of $2,807.00 per person, per term. For the purpose of calculating fees, the summer term is defined as:
- June 12 - August 21, 2022
2022-23 Academic School Year
All undergraduate residences have a base rate of $3,605.00 per person, per term. For the purpose of calculating fees, academic terms are defined as:
- Fall Term: September 21, 2022, to December 19, 2022
- Winter Term: December 20, 2022, to March 19, 2023
- Spring Term: March 20, 2023, to June 17, 2023
Spring Term
- March 18, 2022: Third-term billing period begins
- June 11, 2022: Third term housing billing period ends
- June 11, 2022: Housing Contract Terminates at 11am
Lottery
- April 11, 2022: Fall lottery housing list of participants available online
- April 14, 2022: 12 pm (noon) deadline to be added to the general lottery housing list
- April 15, 2022: Housing Office posts general lottery numbers
- April 21, 2022: Round 1-Early Unaffiliated Lottery at 1:30 pm
- April 22, 2022: Housing Office reposts general lottery housing numbers
- April 28, 2022: Affiliated house lottery results due to the Housing Office
- April 29, 2022: Housing Office reposts general lottery numbers & availability left in Bechtel
- May 5, 2022: Round 2- Final Unaffiliated Lottery at 1:30 pm
- May 9, 2022: Summer lottery information and application available online
- May 16, 2022: Summer lottery application due to the Housing Office by 12 pm (noon)
- May 18, 2022: Housing Office posts unaffiliated summer lottery numbers
- May 19, 2022: Summer Lottery appointments
- May 20, 2022: Summer Lottery appointments
- May 31, 2022: Fall and summer housing contracts submission deadline
Summer Term
- June 12, 2022: Summer housing contract begins
- August 21, 2022: Summer housing contract ends
Fall Term
- Sept. 21, 2022: Housing contract commences at 9 am
- Sept. 21, 2022: First-term billing begins
- Dec. 19, 2022: First-term billing ends
Winter Term
- Dec. 20, 2022: Second-term billing period begins
- March 19, 2023: Second-term billing period ends
Contract Cancellation
- Contract Cancellation by August 15, 2022: None
- Contract Cancellation by September 20, 2022: $200.00
- Contract Cancellation on or after September 21, 2022: $350.00
Room Moving, Checking In, and Checking Out
- Failure to complete check-in procedures at the Housing Office: $100.00
- Failure to complete check-out or room move procedures: $100.00
- Failure to vacate premises by license contract revocation date or expiration date: $300.00/per calendar day
- Surcharge for staying past 5th day of academic ineligibility: $300.00/per calendar day
- Unapproved room move: $100.00
If you are currently living in Caltech housing, you must participate in Caltech's Board Plan.
If you do not live in Caltech housing and would like to enroll in the board plan, please contact Dining Services.