Housing decision · McGill University
Build a realistic first-year living plan
- 1EligibilityGuarantee and application rules
- 2OptionsBuildings, rooms, communities
- 3Full costResidence, meals, deposits
- 4CommitDeadlines and backup housing
McGill University Residence & Housing
Montreal, Quebec
Housing, commute, campus setting, and city fit. This focused guide keeps the detailed tables, official sources, and practical next steps in one manageable reading path.
Reviewed August 16, 2026 · Information checked against official university sources · How we review guides
Residence and Campus Fit
McGill residence rates and the first-year guarantee for 2026–2027
McGill is one of the few large Canadian universities that publishes a real first-year residence guarantee: newly admitted undergraduates who are 22 or under, starting their first year, and who applied before the housing lottery deadline are guaranteed a place. The lease runs August 20, 2026 to May 2, 2027 — 8.45 months — and rent is billed monthly.
| Residence | Room options | Total rent |
|---|---|---|
| McConnell Hall (traditional, meal plan required) | Basement Double $1,100/month; Basement Single $1,195; Double $1,325; Double with bathroom $1,435; Single $1,450 | $9,305.00–$12,275.50 |
| Gardner Hall and Molson Hall (traditional, meal plan required) | Basement Single $1,195/month; Double $1,325; Double with bathroom $1,435; Single $1,450 | $10,109.75–$12,275.50 |
| University Hall (traditional, meal plan required) | Single $1,425/month | $12,051.25 |
| Royal Victoria College Tower and West Wing | Basement Double $1,205/month; Small Double $1,415; Regular Single $1,570; Single with full bath $1,655 | $10,192.25–$13,995.75 |
| New Residence Hall (modern, meal plan required) | Regular Double $1,575/month; Large Double with closed bedroom $1,695; Regular Single $1,800 | $13,328.75–$15,225.00 |
| Carrefour Sherbrooke and La Citadelle (modern) | Carrefour Regular Double $1,295/month up to Large Single $1,605; La Citadelle Regular Double $1,540 up to Regular Single $1,770 | $10,948.75–$14,972.50 |
| Solin Hall (apartment style, no mandatory meal plan) | Petite Single $1,135/month; Regular Single $1,245; Grand Single $1,295; Small Studio $1,325; Large Studio $1,420 | $9,602.75–$12,019.00 |
| Laird Hall, Macdonald Campus (no mandatory meal plan) | Double $620/month; Single $680; Renovated Single $710; Large Renovated Single with bath $750 | $5,245.90–$6,345.00 |
Residence deposit
$1,500
Paid with a $35 residence application fee by the deadline to reserve the space.
Mandatory meal plan
$6,150
All-you-care-to-eat, billed end of September and end of January, plus $500 oneCard Flex and a $35 Residence Life activity fee.
Lease length
8.45 months
August 20, 2026 to May 2, 2027. Summer housing is arranged separately.
The guarantee has a hard edge
Miss the deadline and the guarantee is gone
The 2026-2027 residence deadline was June 14, 2026 at 11:59pm and applications are now closed. Late applicants are told to contact the housing office directly, with no guarantee attached. McGill Entrance Scholarship awardees get an extra benefit — one of their top two building choices — but only if they apply by the same deadline. No 2027-2028 rates, dates, or deposit amount have been published yet.
2026-2027 cycle
McGill does guarantee first-year residence — with conditions
McGill guarantees residence accommodation to newly admitted undergraduates who are 22 or under, who are starting their first year, and who completed the application to live in residence prior to the housing lottery deadline. Missing the deadline removes the guarantee; late applicants are told to contact the housing office directly.
The guarantee is of a place in residence, not of a specific building or room type — except for entrance scholarship awardees, who are guaranteed one of their top two building choices.
McGill University: Student Housing: undergraduate application, guarantee, and deposit · Verified August 16, 2026
2026-2027 cycle
The residence deposit and the 2026-2027 deadline
Applicants must pay a $1,500 residence deposit and a $35 residence application fee by the deadline to reserve a space. For the 2026-2027 year that deadline was June 14, 2026 at 11:59pm, and McGill's page now records that applications for 2026-2027 are closed.
McGill University: Student Housing: undergraduate application, guarantee, and deposit · Verified August 16, 2026
2026-2027
The lease is 8.45 months, not 12
All 2026-2027 undergraduate residence leases run August 20, 2026 to May 2, 2027, which McGill counts as 8.45 months when converting monthly rent into total rent. Rent is billed monthly, and McGill states that students who withdraw from residences for academic or non-academic reasons will be held financially responsible.
Summer housing is a separate arrangement. International students in particular should plan for the May-to-August gap.
McGill University: Student Housing: undergraduate residence fees 2026-2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
2026-2027
Traditional and modern dormitory rates
Total rent for 2026-2027: McConnell Hall from $9,305.00 for a basement double to $12,275.50 for a single; Gardner Hall and Molson Hall $10,109.75 to $12,275.50; University Hall $12,051.25 for its single; Royal Victoria College Tower and West Wing $10,192.25 for a basement double up to $13,995.75 for a single with full bath; New Residence Hall $13,328.75 to $15,225.00; La Citadelle $13,023.00 to $14,972.50; Carrefour Sherbrooke $10,948.75 to $13,572.25.
McGill University: Student Housing: undergraduate residence fees 2026-2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
2026-2027
The cheapest published McGill residence options
Laird Hall at the Macdonald Campus runs $5,245.90 for a double to $6,345.00 for a large renovated single with bath. The des Pins and University Street houses run from $5,751.60 for a very small single with a Murphy bed at 510 des Pins up to $8,666.25 for a large single. Apartment-style Solin Hall runs $9,602.75 for a petite single up to $12,019.00 for a large studio. None of these carry a mandatory meal plan.
Laird Hall is at the Macdonald Campus. It is only a real option if your program is taught there.
McGill University: Student Housing: undergraduate residence fees 2026-2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
2026-2027
The mandatory meal plan adds $6,685 to a dormitory year
Traditional and modern dormitories require the all-you-care-to-eat meal plan at $6,150, billed at the end of September and the end of January, plus $500 in oneCard Flex dollars and a $35 Residence Life activity fee. Residences without a mandatory meal plan charge $600 for oneCard instead of $500. Douglas Hall, 506, 510, and 522 des Pins, 3601 and 3653 University, Solin Hall, and Laird Hall are the buildings McGill lists without a mandatory meal plan.
McGill University: Student Housing: undergraduate residence fees 2026-2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
2027-2028
2027-2028 residence rates are not published
McGill's undergraduate residence fee page currently covers 2026-2027 only, and the 2026-2027 application cycle is closed. No rates, lease dates, deposit amount, or application deadline have been published for 2027-2028.
Use the 2026-2027 figures as a planning baseline only. McGill has not published a 2027-2028 increase, so do not assume any particular percentage.
McGill University: Student Housing: undergraduate residence fees 2026-2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
Campus and city: what McGill publishes about student life
McGill calls Montreal “affordable, multilingual, creative and bursting with culture” and one of the best student cities in the world. These cards use only mcgill.ca statements about the city, the language mix, the two campuses, insurance costs, and the services on campus.
Current recruiting content
How McGill sells Montreal
McGill's recruiting page states: 'Affordable, multilingual, creative and bursting with culture, Montreal earns its stripes as one of the best student cities in the world.' The same page points to more than 300 clubs and frames the McGill experience around internships, research programs, and study-abroad opportunities.
McGill University: Why McGill: Montreal, clubs, and experiential learning · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published counts
The actual language mix on campus
Quick Facts report a student body that is 49% English mother tongue, 21% French, and 29% other languages. McGill requires proof of English proficiency for undergraduate admission and requires documented French only for Human Nutrition, Nursing, and Physical & Occupational Therapy.
You can complete most McGill degrees without French, but you will live in a French-language province. Treat French as a life skill for Montreal rather than an admission barrier.
McGill University: Quick Facts: enrolment, faculties, alumni, research funding · Verified August 16, 2026
Current services
The services McGill publishes for students
McGill's services hub lists athletics and recreation, food and housing, internships and experiential learning, study abroad, clubs and activities, services for families, international student services, and libraries and research services, alongside the myCourses, Minerva, and myMcGill portals.
McGill University: Services for students: athletics, housing, clubs, study abroad · Verified August 16, 2026
2026-2027
Downtown and Macdonald are different student experiences
McGill's fee tables charge student services fees of $131.60 to $219.07 depending on campus and credit load, and the residence table lists Laird Hall at the Macdonald Campus separately from the downtown buildings at roughly half the downtown rent. The Macdonald Campus is in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue at the western end of the island of Montreal.
McGill University: Undergraduate tuition rates Fall/Winter 2026-27 by residency · Verified August 16, 2026
2026-2027
Health insurance is a real line on the bill
McGill's 2026-27 fee tables include $345.00 of MCSS or SSMU health and dental insurance for Canadian students, and for international students $1,155.00 of international health insurance plus $150.00 of SSMU dental insurance. Both are printed at 2025-26 rates and McGill notes the rates may change for 2026-27.
McGill University: PDF: Tuition and Fees 2026-27, international undergraduates · Verified August 16, 2026
Housing and Location Questions
| Campus Setting | Major-city campus environment |
|---|---|
| Residence | Check residence guarantee rules, first-year room styles, meal plans, deposit deadlines, and off-campus housing pressure. |
| City Fit | Students should compare transit, weather, cost of living, safety, and community feel in Montreal. |
| Commuting | If living off campus, map commute time to classes, labs, placements, and evening activities before committing. |
Official Sources and Next Steps
Stellar keeps this guide structured for comparison, but official university pages remain the source of truth for program requirements, tuition, residence, scholarships, deadlines, and policy changes.
Prepared by Stellar Advisers Editorial Team · Reviewed August 16, 2026 · Editorial, corrections, and source methodology