Housing and Campus Life

No, first-year students are not required to live on campus. Most first-year students do live on campus because of the ease of transition from home to campus life, access to university resources and the ability to make lifelong friends.

There are nearly thirty religious, spiritual, humanist and secular organizations at UCF, representing many different faiths.

Some do, but the facilities are operated privately.

Yes! All students have access to our 149,000-square-foot facility with fitness equipment, a track, multipurpose courts and a climbing wall, plus outdoor amenities like sand volleyball courts, a leisure pool, a lap pool and intramural sports fields.

The UCF Recreation and Wellness Center (RWC) comprises many programs, such as intramural sports, sport clubs, outdoor adventure, fitness and aquatics. The RWC is open to all students; paid memberships are available for non-students.

For students with disabilities: If you are in need of special accommodations to participate, please visit the Adaptive Recreation page.

We have an active Greek community, with 43 fraternities and sororities represented and about 3,000 students involved.

Yes! Intramural sports offers all activity and service fee paying UCF students (and UCF faculty and staff who purchase Recreation and Wellness Center memberships) the opportunity to participate in a variety of team, dual and individual sports.

Participating is a great chance to get involved. Several divisions of play are offered for most activities to accommodate various skill levels for both recreational and competitive participation.

From visual to performing arts, we’ve got you covered. Every spring, the university holds UCF Celebrates the Arts, an eight-day festival celebrating the performing and visual arts in downtown Orlando. If you’re into music, we have a marching band, gospel choir, jazz ensembles and more. For theater, we have two stages on campus and partner with Orlando Shakes. And if you’re into visual arts, the UCF Gallery hosts exhibitions and programming that examine cultural and social contexts and support contemporary art practices.

Are you interested in serving your fellow students through UCF’s Student Government Association? No SGA experience is required — just a passion for service!

There are over 650 student clubs and organizations you can get involved in.

Housing options for incoming transfer students are very limited. Contact housing for availability on the Orlando main campus and at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

UCF Dining Memberships are convenient, flexible and loaded with options. Anyone with a valid UCF I.D. may purchase a Dining Membership. All Members gain access to dining locations all across campus with a range of menus and offerings. All Dining Memberships are voluntary, providing an open access community atmosphere that give members the opportunity to study, socialize and maintain a healthy diet. All Members will receive value, whether you eat on campus three times a week or three times a day!

Not interested in a dining membership? There is a variety of dining establishments to choose from, including Chick-fil-A, Knightro’s, Chili’s, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Huey Magoo’s, Gringos Locos, Starbucks and many others.

Known as the “heart of campus,” the Student Union sits at the center of UCF’s main Campus. The Student Union provides space for students and members of the UCF community to study, socialize, eat, host events, attend meetings and engage in campus life.

UCF offers many different choices of housing on the Orlando main campus and at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. First-year and transfer students can choose from shared-bedroom residence hall-style or single-bedroom apartment-style housing. There are also living-learning communities where you can live with other students who share similar interests.

From primary care and dentistry to psychiatry and other specialty care, UCF’s Health Services has a team of experts to treat just about anything. Students can even schedule a one-on-one consultation with a clinical dietitian to discuss weight management, eating disorders, diabetes and more.

The primary care consultation and evaluation by our health providers is covered by the Health Fee, included in students’ tuition. Additional services/materials are either billed to insurance, or you can take advantage of our low self-pay prices. If you require a service we do not offer, or prefer to see an in-network provider, our Referrals Department can assist in getting you where you need to go.

Housing applications are available for freshmen after they are offered admission, however, the timing depends on several factors.

For students admitted on the Nov. 15 Early Action decision notification date:

• You may submit a housing application on your Housing Portal Open Date. This date will be determined by the date and time that you pay your $30 admission application fee or submit an approved application fee waiver to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. ​
• The Housing Portal Open Date is the first day that Early Action admitted students can enter the Housing Portal and submit an application for on-campus housing. ​
  • This is not the ONLY date you can submit an application – just the first date. 

​For students who are NOT admitted Early Action:

• You will be able to apply for housing after you have been offered admission to UCF.
• Admissions decisions made after the Nov. 15 Early Action notification date will be released on a rolling basis beginning in early January.
• A Housing Portal Open Date will not be assigned to you if you did not apply Early Action.

There is limited availability for on-campus housing, so we advise students who are able to apply Early Action for faster access to the Housing Portal.

UCF stands against sexual and relationship violence.

In 2018, UCF launched a new Title IX campaign: Let’s Be Clear. Through Let’s Be Clear, UCF aims to increase disclosure of sexual and relationship violence. The more people who come forward, the more who can be supported by campus and community resources. A new text message disclosure option is being introduced to support that goal.

Comprehensive information about what constitutes sexual violence, how UCF responds to such incidents, and how to get help is available on the Let’s Be Clear website. Reports to the Title IX coordinator also can be made on the website.

Off-Campus Student Services provides a listing of off-campus housing opportunities on their website.

The mission of the UCF Police Department is to reduce crime and the fear of crime by providing a safe environment for our students, faculty, staff and visitors and through the safeguarding of constitutional guarantees.

The UCF Police Department provides law enforcement services to the university community as well as several university-affiliated housing communities near the main campus.

UCF offers Safe Escort Patrol Services (SEPS) from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m. seven days a week when classes are in session. Student employees of the UCF Police Department use golf carts to transport riders to any location on campus. If applicable, a walking escort may be provided instead of a cart. Service does not operate on holidays recognized by the state of Florida, between semesters or on football game days.

UCF offers Air Force and Army ROTC, as well as the Semper Fi Society. Please visit UCF Air Force ROTC or UCF Army ROTC to get more information about these programs.

Yes, each prospective student must register to attend, though parents can register as guests under one student’s name. We want to make sure everyone gets the attention they need — fewer people means more one-on-one attention for you. For that reason, we limit space. So, if you need to cancel, please let us know so we can allow others to attend. A cancellation link appears in the confirmation email that was sent to you when you signed up.

There is an optional housing tour offered at the end of the campus tour. The housing tours are offered at noon and 4 p.m. (Monday through Friday).

For freshmen, the mid-range (middle 50 percent) of our Fall entering class was:

• GPA: 4.1 – 4.5 (recalculated academic core)
• SAT: 1270 – 1390 (Evidence-based Reading and Writing + Math)
• ACT: 26 – 30 (composite)
• CLT: 90-100

Knight for a Day Open House events give you more information about UCF’s campus, programs, housing, student life and more. The Campus Visit Experience is a tour of the campus — it’s included in the Open House event, but may be condensed due to time constraints. In addition, you will also learn about admissions, financial aid and academics. You don’t have to take the tour during an Open House event, but we highly recommend you attend.