Loyola’s Achilles Heel — Student Housing

In the last decade, Loyola’s enrollment has risen dramatically — but there’s been little expansion of on-campus housing, leading to overcrowded conditions in dorms. 

During the 2014-2015 academic year, Loyola’s total undergraduate population was 15,902, according to College Tuition Compare. In 2023-24, this population reached 17,397, with 12,487 being undergraduate students. 

While all of these students may not have been required to live on campus, even a fraction of this population growth would cause conditions in dorms to become uncomfortably crowded. First and second-year students under the age of 21 are required to live on campus unless they live at home with a parent or guardian, according to Loyola Admissions. 

Loyola has about 4,700 residential students across 22 residence halls. The last time the university added a dorm was Francis Hall in 2020, which can house around 400 residents in its approximately 130 rooms, according to Elara Engineering. 

The math just doesn’t add up. How can Loyola’s total student population increase by 1,495 in a decade, but the total amount of available on-campus housing by less than half that number?

This has forced students to live in cramped conditions, sharing rooms often meant for two between three people. As students toil over housing on the Lake Shore Campus, the university’s answer has been to continue enrolling larger classes while mulling over how to turn the lot by Xavier Hall and Seattle Hall into dorms — without actually building anything. 

This doesn’t even begin to address the issues surrounding housing for upperclassmen. Most third and fourth-years elect to live off-campus, partially out of choice, but also because Loyola’s housing options for upperclassmen are extremely limited, offering only a deferred housing list that doesn’t guarantee a room on campus, according to Loyola Residence Life. 

The quality in some of Loyola’s older residential halls, such as Campion Hall, has also been a point of consistent contention. It feels like every year there’s a new rumor the residence hall will finally be torn down. 

So far nothing has come to fruition, although Campion Hall is set for demolition this summer, with Georgetown Hall, Seattle Hall, Xavier Hall and Le Moyne Hall all recommended for demolition, The Phoenix previously reported. 

Right now, Loyola wants it all — and they may have to sacrifice something. 

It’s not physically possible to have enrollment at current levels while also removing hundreds of dorm rooms supposedly ready for demolition. Loyola will have to decide whether it prioritizes student living conditions or the continued growth of their business.

At the end of the day, Loyola needs to make money in order to meet student and faculty expectations. But the university can’t ignore their drive for higher enrollment, especially given the anticipated enrollment cliff. More money coming into the university has caused students to live in uncomfortable conditions, The Phoenix previously reported. 

If Loyola wants to keep raising enrollment, they need to start offering more living options for students. Expecting the people paying tuition to cram into old dorms the university has outgrown is unacceptable. A dorm is a home away from home, and it’s up to Loyola to make sure each student is given the proper accommodations to make that possible