On-Campus Housing

Primarily, first- and second-year students live on campus in CIA-owned housing. Living on campus for your first two years eases the transition of moving away from home while learning the necessary skills of living on your own.

Residency Requirements

All unmarried, first-time college students who are under 21 years of age are required to live in the residence hall for their first two academic years. Students with parents or guardians within Ohio’s Cuyahoga County are considered to be within commutable distance to the College.

All first-year students living in the residence halls are required to join the Case Western Reserve University meal plan (a variety of meal plans are available). Most students select CaseCash, which enables them to use the funds on their student ID card, like a debit card, in area restaurants and shops.

Students new to CIA who are 21 years of age or older are not given priority to live in on-campus housing. If students in either of these categories desire to live on campus, they will be put on a waitlist according to the date of their housing deposit. If there is housing available after mid-July, those on the waitlist will be assigned housing.

First-year students live in the Uptown Residence Hall, located on Euclid Avenue, within view of the CIA campus, moCa Cleveland and the Uptown development.

Second-year students live in Euclid 117 Apartments, just across the street from our academic campus.

Limited availability to additional upper-class students is also available in these apartments. Any upper-class student who wishes to live in a CIA apartment can participate in the upper-class student Apartment selection held in the spring.

Students are selected via a housing lottery. Students submit an application that illustrates their, and their roommates, desire to remain on campus. If the student's name is drawn, students are notified via email that they have a space. All other students get placed on a waiting list, and housing continues to work through this list throughout the summer.

Off-Campus Housing

If you are not required to live in the on-campus housing and want to live off campus, the Office of Student Life + Housing offers a list of apartment search engines and provides a “roommate wanted” board to assist you in finding a CIA roommate(s). In addition, the Office of Student Life + Housing has recorded information to assist students in the transition from living on campus to moving on campus. Information and forms concerning on and off-campus housing can be found at cia.edu/housing. You can also make an appointment to meet with the Assistant Dean of Students who will help guide you through the process.