When you check-in to your residence hall, you will receive a key for your room with your student ID granting you access into your assigned hall. Additional information on your St. Olaf ID Card can be found here.

• Residence Halls are locked 24-hours a day.
• For your personal safety, lock your room door when you are not present and at night
• If your key is lost, report it to your Area Coordinator immediately.

Every building includes:

• Computer Facilities
• Kitchens
• Laundry Facilities
• Main Floor Lounge
• Piano
• Recreation
• Vending Machines

Every Room Includes:

• Freezer
• Microwave Unit
• Refrigerator

Students may not bring their own refrigerator and/or microwave.

For health and safety reasons, all student owned cooking appliances are prohibited in residence hall rooms (e.g., toasters, toaster ovens, hot plates, tea kettles, etc.). If you bring these items you will need to use them in the residence hall kitchen.

The entire St. Olaf campus is served by a robust wi-fi network. Wired connections are available in student rooms upon request. For technical information about connectivity or general information about the college networks, please view the Information Technology (IT) website or call the IT Helpdesk at 507-786-3830.

View the first-year student residence halls:

• Ellingson Hall
• Kildahl Hall
• Thorson
• Mohn Hall

Room Sizes:
Each hall has slight variations in the sizes and shapes of its rooms, but in general, most residence hall rooms are approximately 200 square feet. Regardless of size, rooms take on the character of the people living there, so bring your best creative ideas to the decoration of your room. It is, after all, home.  We do not have the measurements of dresser/desk drawers or closets.  You will need to find that out when you arrive.

Beds and Lofts:
All of our beds are twin, extra-long size. The mattress is 36″ x 78″. Beds may be lofted, bunked, or stay on the floor. A bed rail is available if the bed is lofted or bunked. Lofting and bunking kits are available (at no charge) during check-in.  You do not need to reserve a kit in advance. Please note, here are not enough loft kits for every student. St. Olaf does not loft beds; lofting is the responsibility of the resident.

The only animals allowed to live on campus are fish and ADA/Emotional Support Animals.   To find out more information about if you would qualify to have an animal (other than  fish) on campus contact the Disability and Access Office.

Northfield offers a respectable range of stores that supply ordinary household goods. In addition to the locally owned Just Food Co-op you will find standard chain grocery stores, pharmacies, and general merchants (e.g., Target and Menards). If you’ve forgotten something, you can most likely purchase the item(s) here in town.

The quality and nature of residential living at St. Olaf is recognized as an intrinsic part of the college experience. Community living that is conducive to healthy social interaction, recreation, and educational/cultural opportunities will greatly enhance the unique college experience St. Olaf offers.

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Your roommate and the other students in your corridor and in your residence hall will play a significant role in your daily life, and will often remain your best friends for life.

To protect privacy, we do not release student phone numbers, but your roommate’s email address is provided.  Make sure to connect with your roommate(s) prior to arrival to plan out who is bringing which items.

As you get to know your roommate(s), make the effort to talk about concerns such as personal needs for sleep and study, decorating preferences, and sharing personal property.  St. Olaf students come from a wide range of backgrounds.  The strongest roommate relationships form when people can talk about their differences.