University of Windsor Residence & Housing
Windsor, Ontario
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.
The short answer
- Windsor guarantees first-year residence if you apply by June 5, 2026 for the 2026-2027 cycle. After that, rooms depend on availability.
- Room-only rates for Fall 2026 and Winter 2027 range from $9,000 for a Laurier Hall single to $11,768 for a Rodzik Hall single.
- A meal plan is mandatory. The 7-day plan costs $3,790.00 per semester, or $7,580 for two semesters.
- The residence deposit is $475, non-refundable, paid by credit card during the application.
- Windsor has not published a Fall 2027 guarantee date. The only dated guarantee is June 5, 2026.
Reviewed August 16, 2026 · Official university sources · How we review guides
Windsor residence costs, including meals
Windsor's 2026-27 Laurier single is $9,000 for both terms. Adding two currently posted seven-day meal plans gives a $16,580 planning total. A Cartier double gives $17,080. Dining prices have no cycle label, so these sums aren't confirmed Fall 2027 packages.
The room table says its fees still need Board approval. The dining page charges $3,790 per semester for seven-day access and $3,635 for five-day access. Plans expire each term. Fall 2027 room rates and a cycle-labelled matching dining schedule weren't confirmed. Confirm both before treating the calculation as your bill.
Cost sources checked October 13, 2026. Recheck due February 1, 2027. This is a focused cost check.
| Room and cycle | Term | Room charge | Meal plan | Room + meal total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurier single + seven-day meals2026-27 room; dining yearless | Two terms | $9,000.00 | $7,580.00. 2 × $3,790; mandatory plan | $16,580.00Our calculation |
| Cartier double + seven-day meals2026-27 room; dining yearless | Two terms | $9,500.00 | $7,580.00. 2 × $3,790; mandatory plan | $17,080.00Our calculation |
| Alumni single + five-day meals2026-27 room; dining yearless | Two terms | $11,250.00 | $7,270.00. 2 × $3,635; mandatory plan | $18,520.00Our calculation |
- Windsor room fees. Latest available: Fall 2026/Winter 2027 room charges, pending Board approval. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Windsor residence meal plans. Latest available yearless dining prices. Seven-day amount is explicitly per semester; five-day plan also expires each term. Checked October 13, 2026.
Windsor residence rates and the first-year guarantee
Windsor does guarantee a first-year residence room. It publishes the rule with a date. Apply by June 5, 2026 for the 2026-2027 cycle and you are guaranteed a room. After that date, a room is based on availability. There are four buildings. Populations range from 150 to 440 students. A meal plan is mandatory. It costs $7,580 a year on the 7-day plan. That is close to the $9,000 price of the cheapest room.
| Residence | Who lives there | Fall 2026 and Winter 2027 room only |
|---|---|---|
| Laurier Hall — single | Beyond first-year and first-year students | $9,000 ($4,521 Fall / $4,479 Winter) |
| Cartier Hall — double | First-year students | $9,500 ($4,772 Fall / $4,728 Winter) |
| Cartier Hall — single | First-year students | $11,000 ($5,526 Fall / $5,474 Winter) |
| Alumni Hall — single | Beyond first-year students, 2-bedroom suites | $11,250 ($5,651 Fall / $5,599 Winter) |
| Rodzik Hall — single | First-year students, limited beyond first-year spaces | $11,768 ($5,912 Fall / $5,856 Winter) |
The meal plan is mandatory
Lancer's 7-Day All-Access Plan
$3,790.00 per semester
All-You-Care-To-Enjoy dining. Mandatory for residence students. Expires at the end of each term.
Lancer's 5-Day All-Access Plan
$3,635.00 per semester
The cheaper mandatory option, still billed for both the Fall and Winter terms.
Two semesters of the 7-day plan come to $7,580 ($3,790.00 a semester), or $7,270 on the 5-day plan. That is almost as much as the $9,000 annual room charge for a Laurier Hall single, the cheapest room, and a Rodzik single with the 7-day plan comes to $19,348 for the year. Add room and meal plan before you compare Windsor's housing cost against another university's. Rates checked October 2, 2026 on Windsor's residence fees and residence meal plan pages.
Deposit
$475
This payment is non-refundable. You pay it by credit card when you apply. It is credited toward the first residence fee installment.
Guarantee condition
Apply by early June
June 5, 2026 for the 2026-2027 cycle. Windsor's policy ties the date to OUAC's earliest offer-response date, so you can predict it.
Who lives in
11.7% of first-years
Windsor is a very local and commuter university. 98.4% of students come from Ontario.
Verify before you budget
These rates are not Board-approved yet
Windsor's own residence fees page has a line. It says the residence fees listed above have not yet been approved by the Board of Governors. It says fees are subject to change. This is unlike its tuition figures, which are labelled approved. The Fall 2027 guarantee date is not published either. Treat early June 2027 as the working planning date. Note that the written policy is titled Domestic First Year student guarantee. It refers to a separate international guarantee policy. The application page words it as covering all first-year students.
Windsor guarantees first-year residence — with a dated condition
Fall/Winter 2026-2027 · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
The Fall/Winter 2026-2027 residence application page says residence is guaranteed for all students entering their first year of university. This applies if you apply to residence by June 5, 2026. After that, it is based on availability. Roommate selection ran June 1 to 8, 2026. A roommate was assigned automatically if none was chosen by June 8.
Applies to: All applicants, Ontario high school, International
University of Windsor: Residence Application – Fall/Winter 2026-2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
How Windsor sets the guarantee date — and who the policy covers
Policy revised October 2024 · Published for this period
Windsor's Housing and Residence Life policy says a residence room is guaranteed for domestic undergraduate students entering their first year. You must apply and submit the residence deposit by the residence guarantee date. Housing and Residence Life sets that date. The policy defines that date exactly. The guarantee date is always the same date as, or a few days after, the date the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC) sets. OUAC (Ontario's university application site) sets the earliest date an Ontario high school student may have to respond to an Ontario university offer of admission. That student may also have to give a financial commitment.
That definition lets you predict the Fall 2027 date from OUAC's confirmation deadline instead of waiting. Also note that the written policy is titled Domestic First Year student guarantee. It refers to a separate international first-year guarantee policy. But the 2026-2027 application page words the guarantee as covering all first-year students.
Applies to: Ontario high school, Other Canadian, International
University of Windsor: Housing and Residence Life policy: domestic first-year guarantee (PDF) · Verified August 16, 2026
The Fall 2027 residence guarantee date
2027 pending · Fall 2027
Windsor has not published a residence guarantee deadline for Fall 2027. The only dated guarantee is June 5, 2026 for the 2026-2027 cycle. Treat early June 2027 as the working planning date and confirm once Windsor posts the Fall/Winter 2027-2028 residence application.
You must confirm your admission offer and activate your UWin Account before you can start the residence application, and Windsor asks for 24 to 48 hours between the two. Build that lag into your June planning.
Applies to: All applicants, Ontario high school, International
University of Windsor: Residence Application – Fall/Winter 2026-2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
Room rates by building
Fall 2026 and Winter 2027 · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Windsor publishes room-only rates for Fall 2026 and Winter 2027. Laurier Hall single is $4,521 Fall and $4,479 Winter, $9,000 for the year. Cartier Hall double is $4,772 and $4,728, $9,500 for the year. Cartier Hall single is $5,526 and $5,474, $11,000. Alumni Hall single is $5,651 and $5,599, $11,250. Rodzik Hall single is $5,912 and $5,856, $11,768. Fall fees are due August 15, 2026 and Winter fees December 15, 2026.
The same page carries Windsor's own disclaimer that the fees listed above have not yet been approved by the Board of Governors. Budget them as firm estimates, not final numbers.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Windsor: Residence fees by building and room type · Verified October 2, 2026
Four buildings, and they are not interchangeable
Current buildings · Published for this period
Windsor operates four residence buildings with populations ranging from 150 to 440 students. Cartier Hall is home to first-year students. Rodzik Hall is home to first-year students with limited spaces available for beyond first-year students. Laurier Hall is home to beyond first-year and first-year students. Alumni Hall is home to beyond first-year students and offers 2-bedroom suites.
The application lets you state a single or double preference, but Windsor says building assignments are made by the residence team. As an incoming first-year you are realistically choosing between Cartier and Rodzik.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Windsor: Residence halls: buildings and who lives in them · Verified August 16, 2026
The meal plan is mandatory and nearly matches the cheapest room
2026/2027 · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Windsor states that if you are living in residence you are required to purchase an AYCTE meal plan. The All-You-Care-To-Enjoy plans are the Lancer's 7-Day All-Access Plan at $3,790.00 per semester and the Lancer's 5-Day All-Access Plan at $3,635.00, both billed for the Fall and Winter terms and expiring at the end of each term.
Two semesters of the 7-day plan come to $7,580 ($7,270 on the 5-day plan), close to the $9,000 annual room charge for a Laurier Hall single, the cheapest room. A Rodzik single with the 7-day plan comes to $19,348 for the year. Add room plus meal plan before you compare Windsor's housing cost against another university's. Rates rechecked October 2, 2026.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Windsor: Food Services: residence meal plan rates · Verified October 2, 2026
Residence deposit
Fall/Winter 2026-2027 · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
A $475 non-refundable deposit is required for the residence application. You pay it by credit card during the application. Windsor's finance page confirms the residence deposit at $475.00. It appears in the page's list of non-refundable program deposits.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Windsor: Residence Application – Fall/Winter 2026-2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
Most Windsor students do not live in residence
CUDO 2023, Fall 2022 data · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Windsor's Common University Data Ontario return reports some numbers. 11.7% of first-year students lived in on-campus residence. 5.2% of all undergraduates lived in on-campus residence. 98.4% of students came from Ontario. 1.3% came from the rest of Canada. 0.3% came from outside Canada.
Windsor is a strongly commuter and local university. If you want a residential first-year experience, apply to residence the day the cycle opens. Then expect a smaller in-residence cohort. This cohort is smaller than at a comparable Ontario university.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Windsor: Common University Data Ontario 2023: section E, student life · Verified August 16, 2026
Campus and city: what Windsor publishes about student life
Windsor is Canada's southernmost city. It sits at roughly the same latitude as northern California. It is five minutes from downtown Detroit and three and a half hours from Toronto. These cards use only uwindsor.ca statements. They cover scale, athletics, the Toldo Lancer Centre, retention and employment outcomes, and the city itself.
Lancer athletics
Current program · Published for this period
Windsor fields 320 varsity athletes. The sports are basketball, cross-country, curling, football (men's only), golf, ice hockey, soccer, track and field and volleyball. It also has varsity clubs in baseball and fastpitch. It publishes 26 national titles and 51 provincial titles. It states that 1 in 4 student athletes are named Academic All-Canadians each year.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Windsor: Athletics, clubs and extracurriculars · Verified August 16, 2026
The Toldo Lancer Centre and who paid for it
Current facility · Published for this period
The Toldo Lancer Centre adds 119,000 square feet of new versatile space. This includes an 8-lane 25-metre pool with eight diving platforms. It also includes a triple gymnasium of more than 25,000 square feet with retractable seating for 2,000. There is a 13,000-square-foot fitness centre across two floors. Windsor states it was made possible by a generous $55 million contribution by UWindsor students. Windsor states this is the largest student contribution ever for a Canadian university. Windsor states the university runs about 1,200 intramural games annually.
That $55 million was raised through a student levy, which is why the Lancer Sports and Recreation Fee appears on the ancillary fee schedule. You are helping pay for it.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Windsor: Athletics, clubs and extracurriculars · Verified August 16, 2026
Clubs and the students' alliance
Current · Published for this period
Windsor publishes more than 200 academic and social student clubs and societies on campus. The University of Windsor Students' Alliance represents full-time undergraduate students. It operates independently of the university. It provides health and dental insurance plans, safe spaces, a universal bus pass and a bike-sharing program. It also provides Afro Fest, Frost Week and Welcome Week.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Windsor: Athletics, clubs and extracurriculars · Verified August 16, 2026
Retention, graduation, and employment
CUDO 2023 · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Windsor's Common University Data Ontario return reports a first-to-second-year retention rate of 83.3% for the Fall 2021 cohort. It reports a graduation rate of 77.01% for the Fall 2015 cohort. For 2021 graduates, it reports an overall employment rate of 89.46% six months after graduation and 94.48% two years after graduation.
CUDO 2023 is the most recent report Windsor publishes, and its class-size distribution table states that the data is not being reported at this time. Windsor publishes no average class size.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Windsor: Common University Data Ontario 2023: graduation, retention, and employment rates · Verified August 16, 2026
What living in Windsor actually means
Current profile · Published for this period
Windsor describes its home city as a 125-year-old culturally rich, community-oriented city of 217,000 residents. Windsor describes it as the 16th largest census metropolitan area in the country. More than five million people live within an hour's drive. It is Canada's southernmost city, about three and a half hours from Toronto by the 401 and 403. Detroit Metropolitan Airport is about 30 kilometres from the border. Ann Arbor and Toledo are each about 45 minutes away by car.
The campus sits on the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg people. They are part of the Three Fires Confederacy. That confederacy comprises the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa nations. Windsor's Turtle Island – Indigenous Student Services Centre was renamed in October 2025.
Applies to: All applicants, International
University of Windsor: About Windsor: the city, the region, and the border · Verified August 16, 2026
Official Windsor residence and student-life sources
- Housing and Residence Life: domestic first-year guarantee policy (PDF)
- Residence Application – Fall/Winter 2026-2027
- Residence fees by building and room type
- Residence halls: buildings and who lives in them
- Food Services: residence meal plan rates
- Athletics, clubs and extracurriculars
- About the University of Windsor
- Why UWindsor: campus and downtown campus
- Our history: Assumption College to the University of Windsor
- Common University Data Ontario 2023: student life
- Common University Data Ontario 2023: general information
- About Windsor: the city, the region, and the border
- Future students home: program counts and student-faculty ratio
Housing and Location Questions
| Campus Setting | Regional university city with a defined campus community |
|---|---|
| Residence | Check residence guarantee rules and first-year room styles. Check meal plans, deposit deadlines, and off-campus housing pressure. |
| City Fit | Students should compare transit, weather, cost of living, safety, and community feel in Windsor. |
| Commuting | If you live off campus, check your commute time first. Think about classes, labs, placements, and evening activities before you commit. |
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