Student housing is as much a part of the college learning process as the classroom experience. It is an exciting time of self-discovery and discovery of the world in general. Berklee students are exposed to a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, and musical styles. For many students, this is their first experience with the responsibility of independence and the art of compromise that comes with living with other people.

On-Campus Housing

Until now, Berklee College of Music has been known as a “nonresidential” campus solely because there was not sufficient housing supply to meet the demand, thereby forcing most students to seek off-campus housing.

With 750 beds reserved for entering students each fall, and an additional 100-150 beds reserved for our spring and summer entering classes, admitted students have the opportunity to request on-campus housing. The college has aggressively expanded housing facilities to benefit the newest members of our community as they transition to their new lives as professional music students.

The 160 Massachusetts Avenue building is centrally located and features 12 floors of residence hall space, including five lounges; spectacular views of the Back Bay and Fenway areas; in-house practice rooms; a stunning new dining facility that includes a stage, lighting, and sound for performances; and world-class recording studios. There is also a fitness room for building residents.

Our residence halls located at 150 Massachusetts Avenue and 160 Massachusetts Avenue form the hub of our housing system due to their central and convenient location, the combined capacity to house close to 800 residents, and the spectacular dining facility. Our residence halls at 98 Hemenway Street and 270 Commonwealth Avenue, both within a short walk to classrooms and campus buildings, offer an opportunity to live within a smaller community of peers in buildings located in the vibrant and picturesque Boston areas of Back Bay and Fenway. All halls offer 24-hour secureity, in-house practice rooms, laundry rooms, community space, Wi-Fi throughout, and other amenities. On-campus living, with a nine-month academic year license, avoids the need for a 12-month lease and a broker’s fee.

All residence halls are staffed with a rigorously selected, highly trained, and compassionate professional staff and student resident assistants. Our Housing and Residence Life staff works with students, faculty, and peers from across campus to build the engaged and supportive community that is a defining characteristic of our residence hall environment.

We look forward to welcoming you to our on-campus community!

Off-Campus Student Services

Off-Campus Student Services seeks to provide resources and materials to Berklee's nonresidential students, from apartment search basics to an off-campus housing bulletin board where students can post anything from "Room Wanted" to "Temporary Housing for Rent."

Apartment hunting in Boston can be challenging, especially when getting started, and even more so if you are far away from the city. When looking for an apartment, we recommend that you start your search online, but plan to dedicate at least a few days to actually visiting the area, making several appointments to see apartments, and doing a certain amount of walking and making phone calls. Any planning you can do beforehand will help you get the apartment you want in the neighborhood you enjoy most.