Pomona College Housing: A Comprehensive Guide to On-Campus and Off-Campus Options

Pomona College offers a variety of housing options to cater to the diverse needs and preferences of its students. From traditional residence halls to themed communities and off-campus living, students have the opportunity to create a comfortable and engaging living environment. This article provides a detailed overview of Pomona College's housing policies, on-campus residences, and off-campus opportunities.

On-Campus Housing Policies and Regulations

Pomona College has established comprehensive housing policies to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive living environment for all students. These policies cover a range of topics, including eligibility, visitor guidelines, quiet hours, safety regulations, and prohibited items.

Eligibility and Requirements

Full-time Pomona students, defined as those taking a minimum of three academic credits during a semester, are eligible for on-campus housing. All first-year and sophomore students are required to live in the residence halls, fostering a sense of community and facilitating their integration into college life. Third and fourth-year students have the option to apply for off-campus housing, subject to approval from the Office of Housing and Residence Life (HRL).

Visitor and Guest Policies

To maintain privacy and security within the residence halls, Pomona College has specific policies regarding visitors and guests. A visitor is defined as someone who is not a Pomona student, while a guest is a Pomona student visiting another student's residence. Visitors are allowed to stay on campus for up to five consecutive nights, with a maximum of seven nights per semester, and students may host no more than two visitors at a time. Students are allowed to have no more than two guests at a time.

Quiet Hours and Courtesy Hours

Maintaining a conducive environment for studying and sleeping is essential in residence halls. Quiet hours are enforced from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 1:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. During these hours, noise levels must be kept to a minimum. All other hours are considered "courtesy hours," during which students are expected to be mindful of their noise levels and maintain a peaceful environment for their neighbors.

Safety and Security Regulations

Pomona College prioritizes the safety and security of its students. The college has implemented various community standards and regulations to prevent hazards and ensure a secure living environment. Prohibited actions and items include:

Furniture supported by cinder blocks
Propping open outside doors and unlocking lounge windows
Using unauthorized doors, windows, or balconies to enter or exit buildings
Mopeds, motorcycles, or other gas-powered vehicles inside the residence hall or within 25 feet of the exterior of the building
Accumulating excessive garbage or filth in rooms and common spaces
Items beyond 3 feet
Accumulating excessive furniture indoor and outdoor residential spaces
Hammocks inside or outside the residence life
Blocking fire equipment or exits from a living space
Weapons
Throwing or pushing objects off balconies or out of windows or using such as a means of access/egress
Appliances using open-flame heating elements
Using balcony for storage, barbecuing, placement of college furniture or garbage
Hot plates, space heaters, deep fryers, toaster ovens, pressure cookers, skillets, BBQs
Playing sports or using sport equipment inside of the Residence Hall
Candles and open flame/combustion devices (except for cigarette lighters and matches)
Using roller-skates, roller blades, skateboards, scooters or bicycles in any campus building
Gas, alcohol or other flame-producing appliances
Using windows, ledges or rooftops for social gatherings
Natural holiday trees are prohibited in the Residence Halls
Smoking or using any vapor emitting device inside or within 20 feet of any residence hall at any time
Bringing a car to campus (if a student is a first-year student)
Tampering with fire-fighting equipment (i.e. fire extinguishers, fire alarms, heat smoke detectors, etc)

Students are permitted to bring their own microwave oven and mini-refrigerator (3.1 cubic feet or smaller). However, students living in Dialynas and Sontag Halls are not allowed to have individual room refrigerators because refrigerators are provided in the suite.

Vandalism and Damages

Students are prohibited from engaging in any activity that injures, defaces, or damages any part of the residence hall facilities. The college will charge individuals responsible for damages that occur or for items that are lost from the residence halls. Costs for acts of unclaimed vandalism may be charged back to those residing within the smallest identifiable space where the vandalism has occurred.

Modifications to Residence Hall Rooms and Areas

Students may not install equipment and make significant alterations to a residence hall room, common area, or exterior area without prior permission. This includes large outdoor decorations, tarps, canopies, lofts, etc. Students are not permitted to paint individual rooms or common areas and will be charged for wall re-painting or excessive wall or surface damage.

Fire Safety Regulations

Adherence to fire safety regulations is crucial for the safety of all residents. Prohibited behavior or items include:

Any electrical wiring that is frayed, broken, or taped
Surge protectors that are plugged into other surge protectors
Charcoal fires, gas stoves, or barbecue grills are prohibited indoors or on balconies
Covering or tampering with smoke detectors or sprinklers
Weapons, Knives, and Dangerous items

Weapons Policy

Weapons are strictly prohibited in the residence halls. This includes, but is not limited to, paintball guns, fireworks, firearms, tasers, stun guns, projectiles, fake guns, hunting equipment, martial arts weapons, prop-style weapons and weapon replicas, bows and arrows or crossbows, swords, any objects with an express purpose to injure or hurt individual. Any knife that has a blade that exceeds three inches and has a sharp edge is prohibited. Students may carry pepper spray that is three ounces or less, as is permitted by California State Law.

Bicycle Policy

Bicycles may be kept in a student’s own room or in a bicycle rack (or other authorized bike storage) during the academic year if they live in a single. Bicycles may not be locked to trees, handrails, poles, fences, benches, or kept in hallways, stairwells, or trash closets. Bicycles will be removed from these locations and impounded without notice.

Confiscation Policy

Pomona College officials and Campus Safety have the authority to confiscate prohibited items. College officials may determine that certain items are connected to violations of the Pomona College student handbook, laws, or regulations, or may pose risks to student health and safety.

On-Campus Housing Options

Pomona College offers a variety of residence halls to accommodate students' diverse needs and preferences. These halls include traditional residence halls, suite-style living, and themed communities.

Traditional Residence Halls

Traditional residence halls typically consist of single or double rooms with communal bathrooms and common areas. These halls foster a strong sense of community and provide opportunities for students to interact and build relationships. Examples of traditional residence halls at Pomona College include Gibson and Harwood.

Read also: Physics at Pomona College

Suite-Style Living

Suite-style living offers students a more independent living experience while still providing a sense of community. Suites typically consist of multiple single or double rooms connected by a common living area and a shared bathroom. Examples of suite-style residence halls at Pomona College include Sontag, Dialynas, Clark I, Clark V, Lawry, Walker, and Smiley.

Themed Communities

Pomona College offers themed communities, which are residence halls or sections of residence halls that focus on a specific theme or interest. These communities provide students with the opportunity to live with like-minded individuals and engage in activities related to their shared interests. In the fall, Pomona will introduce two new housing options based on community interests for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Students interested in the residential-themed communities had to submit an application by March 3 consisting of responses that expressed their interest in the community of their choice. These residence halls are a relatively new concept to Pomona with Oldenborg being the most similar to these new halls. One reason these themed communities are being piloted is to gauge student interest in the offering.

Oldenborg Language Hall

Oldenborg is a living and learning community that focuses on language and cultural immersion. Students living in Oldenborg have the opportunity to practice their language skills, learn about different cultures, and participate in cultural events.

Specific Residence Halls

Sontag and Dialynas Halls: These halls are reserved for seniors and juniors and feature common room suites with 4 or 6 single rooms.
Harwood Hall: This hall is prioritized for sophomores and offers single and double rooms with communal bathrooms.
Clark I: This hall offers suites with 2 single rooms (single-single-bath layout).
Clark III: This hall offers non-suited single rooms and double rooms.
Clark V: This hall offers shared door suites with 2, 3, or 4 single rooms.
Norton: This hall offers non-suited single rooms.
Lawry: This hall offers common room suites with 8 single rooms.
Walker: This hall offers non-suited single rooms and suites with 2 or 3 single rooms.
Smiley: This hall is designated as a new transfer housing hall and offers single rooms.
Gibson: This hall offers double rooms and single rooms with common bathrooms.
Mudd-Blaisdell: Some rooms will be available for returning students, as needed. Rooms chosen may be moved during the summer due to first year programming needs or sponsor group placement.

Housing Selection Process

Each spring semester, rising students participate in the annual Housing Selection process where returning students choose their rooms, roommates, and suitemates. Housing is an important component of the Pomona experience, as such, Pomona Housing and Residence Life (HRL) is seeking to provide as much information as possible to assist students.

Key Terms

Suite: Rooms that share either 1) an initial entry or 2) a common room will be grouped together.
Housing Assignment: The location that a student resides.
Housing Selection: The process when a student is provided an Individual Selection Time and chooses their housing assignment.
Housing Placement: The process when Pomona College will place a student in a housing assignment before or after selection. No Individual Selection Time provided.
Individual Selection Time: Students participating in Housing Selection each get their own selection time. Students placed before selection will not receive an individual time.
Group Selection Time: The time that the group leader will select. The earliest individual time of the (current) group. May change if the group changes.
'Rising' Classes: Class designation referring to the upcoming Fall. ex/ a current sophomore in Spring '26 will be referred to as a 'rising junior'.

Steps in the Housing Selection Process

Apply: Everyone living on campus for Fall must complete a Housing Application on Residence. Fall Study Abroad students do not complete a Housing Application (will complete before Spring return). Off Campus do not complete a Housing Application, but do complete the Off Campus application. The Housing Application includes the Housing Agreement and Matching Profile.
Groups: Students seeking to live in shared spaces (more than 1 occupancy per room, suites) must create groups in Residence. Students may send group invites using their Roommate Code (located in Residence). Only students participating in Selection can be in groups. Students with placements will lock up groups. For example, a Sontag suite of 4 beds will only be selectable by a group of 4 students. These spaces will be marked in Blue text. Non-suite Single rooms (ex/Norton) only need a 'group' of 1 (no group) needed. Group Leaders are the only group member that selects the final spaces during Selection. Residence will default the group member with the best individual time, but the Group Leader can be changed independently of individual selection time.
Search Rooms and Select: Once all pre-selection processes are over, students going through Housing Selection will be assigned their own Individual Selection Time. Individual Selection times will be provided by 1) class and 2) random within each class.

Pre-Selection Processes

The following processes result in students securing their housing assignments before the majority of campus participates in the Housing Selection process:

Off Campus
Study Abroad/Away
HRL RAs, RA Suitemates, and Sponsors
Oldenborg Language Hall Selection
Fall Leaves of Absence
Housing Accommodations

Housing Selection Priority

Individual Selection times will be provided by 1) class and 2) random within each class. Classes will be defined with the following Expected Graduation Terms:

Rising Seniors - Fall 25, Spring 26
Rising Juniors - Fall 26, Spring 27
Rising Sophomores - Fall 27, Spring 28

Class-Based Housing

In coordination with ASPC, the following buildings will be class-restricted:

Sontag and Dialynas Halls - Seniors and Juniors only.
Harwood - Sophomore priority - Harwood spaces will be provided on Sophomore selection day, not visible during the Junior and Senior selection days.
Wig, Mudd, Blaisdell, Lyon - First year priority - Returning students that select into First Year halls may be administratively moved throughout the summer to best support the incoming class' housing needs.

Off-Campus Housing

While Pomona College encourages students to live on campus, particularly during their first two years, the college also recognizes that some students may prefer or need to live off-campus. Third and fourth-year students who wish to live off-campus must submit an off-campus housing application and receive written approval from the Office of Housing and Residence Life (HRL).

Eligibility for Off-Campus Housing

Automatic approval for off-campus housing is granted to the following groups of applicants:

Students aged 24 or older at the start of Fall classes
Students who are legally married
Students with children

Afterwards, as space requires, priority will be provided to the following groups of applicants:

Previously approved Off-Campus students (must apply annually)
Rising Senior applicants
Rising Junior applicants
Students who are studying away in the fall semester and want to live off-campus in the Spring, must complete the off-campus housing application in accordance with the housing selection timeline and deadlines.

Off-Campus Housing Application

Students seeking off-campus housing must complete the off-campus housing application provided via Residence. Off-Campus Applications will only be approved for a full academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). The number of Off Campus approvals is dependent on occupancy needs of the college and will vary from year to year.

Responsibilities of Off-Campus Students

Off-campus students are subject to the Pomona College Student Handbook. Students who choose to live off-campus without written authorization from the Office of Residence Life will continue to be provided a bed assignment and charged for on-campus housing and the unlimited meal plan.

Cost of Off-Campus Housing

The cost of student housing in Pomona, CA varies depending on the type, location, and amenities. Off-campus apartments can range from $1,000 to $2,500 per month.

Available Off-Campus Housing Options

There are numerous off-campus housing options available near Pomona College, including apartments, houses, and rooms for rent. Some examples of available off-campus housing options include:

Room for rent: Cute and clean private downstairs room. Perfect for students or working professionals. This property features a bedroom with private bath, shared kitchen and laundry area.
Charming 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo in Pomona just minutes from Claremont Village.
Unfurnished 3-bedroom, 3-bath residence featuring a private 2-car garage and elevator access to each level. Enjoy a private patio off the living room-perfect for indoor-outdoor living.
Come and take a look at this beautiful floorplan with all new paint and flooring!! Walk into the second level that offers a living room with an open floor plan to the kitchen, guest 1/2 bathroom, and covered balcony.
FOR LEASE: Beautiful, safe and quiet Unfurnished Studio Apartment/ADU. Near Cal State Univ. Long Beach, 2 security gates.
Students, this home is located in a quiet and safe neighborhood. We are 2 miles from CSU Fullerton, the train, metrolink, bus depot & Down Town Fullerton. FREE WIFI! FREE PARKING, UTILITIES INCLUDED.
Location * Location * Location * VERY DESIRABLE ALL STUDENT HOUSING with MULTIPLE UNITS 4 RENT / AVAILABLE Jan 10th - 20th, 2026 for 1 OR 2 PERSONS to SHARE W/ PRIVATE EXIT TO POOL.
Reserve at Chino Hills offers residents a unique blend of peaceful and serene views combined with a luxurious multifamily community.
BEAUTIFUL SINGLE LEVEL OR TOWNHOUSE STYLE APARTMENT HOMES READY TO MOVE IN - ALL NEWLY REMODELED! KEY FEATURES Welcome to Fernwood Terrace Apartments!
Citrus Pacific Villas - Renovated Apartments in Azusa Welcome to Citrus Pacific Villas, a beautifully renovated community in the peaceful city of Azusa.
Welcome to Bradbury Park Apartments in Duarte, CA! Our community offers a variety of amenities to enhance your lifestyle. Enjoy staying active on our sport court or relaxing in the spa.
The Crossings of Chino Hills in Chino Hills, CA, is a luxury, pet-friendly apartment community offering spacious one, two, and three bedroom floor plans for rent.

Additional Housing Information

Housing Accommodations

Pomona College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. Students with approved Housing Accommodations do not need to reapply. When new Housing Accommodations are approved after the priority deadline, those accommodations are waitlisted, with qualifying spaces offered by HRL as they become available.

Winter Break Housing

Students living in Walker and Smiley Halls may be asked to host an approved Winter Break Stay student during winter break.

Spring Housing

Students returning from Leave or Study Abroad must complete the Spring Housing Application. HRL will collect which students are not expected to be on campus for the Spring (known Spring leaves of absence, Spring Study Abroad, Fall Graduates, etc.).

tags: #pomona #college #housing #options