Students lounge in front of the fireplace inside one of the IU Southeast residence halls.
By Rachel Terlep
NEW ALBANY, Ind. — Along with having one of the safest campuses and being one of the “Best Schools for your Buck,” IU Southeast can also boast some of the best residence halls in the country.
IU Southeast ranks in the top 100 on Niche’s 2016 Best College Dorms list based on records from 1,713 public and private traditional 4-year colleges and universities across the United States. Niche based its rankings on student reviews and key statistics like average housing cost, housing capacity and student housing crime rate.
“Our lodges provide safe and desirable housing through an active residential community that provides the amenities that students most often seek through apartment-style living,” said Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs Jason L. Meriwether. “The IU Southeast housing team, led by Director of Residence Life and Housing Amanda Stonecipher, is first-class and knows students by name, which creates a comfortable experience within a beautiful and spacious setting on campus. Students living on campus have higher GPAs and have the benefit of study space and computer areas, unless they choose to study at the lake near our housing community.”
According to the website, “top-ranked colleges offer outstanding on-campus housing that is safe and clean with modern amenities at reasonable prices.”
Forest, Meadow, Woodland, Orchard, and Grove Lodges are home to about 400 students each year. Each lodge features apartment-style housing for students with a Great Room, computer lab, laundry and vending services, and study areas. Each apartment includes a full kitchen, bathroom, and living room. There are one, two, and four-bedroom layouts available. Apartments are fully furnished and come with basic cable and wireless internet. The lodges opened at IU Southeast in 2008. On-campus housing has helped the University increase retention rates and has improved the diversity of the student body.
An IU Southeast lodge at night.
A student prepares coffee in one of the campus lodge apartments.
Students unwinding in a Meadow lodge apartment.