Dorm Life: 175 Years of Student Housing
About
Dorm Life: 175 Years of Student Housing showcases photographs and documents that explore student housing at Santa Clara throughout the years. From humble beginnings as a boarding school with around 120 students (including students from the college and the boy's school) to the current undergraduate population of around 6,500, the University's housing needs have varied widely over the years. Sudden mid-century increases in enrollment following World War II and the change to co-education in 1961 called for creative housing solutions, and current students enjoy their choice of 10 on campus housing options and nearly 20 off campus SCU affiliated apartments and neighborhood units. As we welcome a new cohort of students to campus this fall, we look back into our past to see what life has historically been like in the SCU dorms. Dorm Life: 175 Years of Student Housing will be on display on the third floor of the University Library until December 4th, 2026.
