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Housing & Residential Life

Risley Residential College

Risley Hall Exterior

 

Prudence Risley Hall is one of Cornell's most distinctive residential communities, where creativity, tradition, and artistic exploration come together in a setting unlike any other on campus. Located on North Campus, Risley is home to the Risley Residential College, Cornell's first Program House, and welcomes students who are passionate about the arts and creative expression.

Its castle-like architecture has long made it a campus landmark. Today, Risley brings together students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines who share a passion for creating, learning, and contributing to a dynamic residential community.  

Risley is also home to the Risley Dining Room, Cornell's AllerCheck™ approved gluten-free, tree nut-free, and peanut-free dining facility. 

More About Risley Residential College

Opened in 1913, the building was named for Prudence Risley (1778-1865), the mother of financier Russell Sage. As Cornell's first expansion north of Fall Creek Gorge, Risley helped shape the future growth of North Campus and established a residential presence beyond the university's original academic core. In 1970, Risley became home to Cornell's first Program House, fostering a community rooted in creativity, artistic expression, inclusion, and tradition.

As part of North Campus, Risley offers students access to the energy and opportunities of campus life while providing a smaller, interest-based community centered on shared creative pursuits. Residents contribute as artists, performers, organizers, advocates, and collaborators, helping shape the culture and traditions of the community.

More than a residence hall, Prudence Risley Hall is a creative community where students turn their passions into shared experiences, build meaningful connections, and contribute to one of Cornell's most unique residential traditions.

Risley Dining Room, located in Prudence Risley Hall and modeled after the Christ Church Refectory at Oxford University, serves as a central gathering space for residents and visitors. 

Community Features

  • Open to first-year, transfer, and upper-level students
  • 194 residents
  • Located on North Campus, near Robert Purcell Community Center and Appel Commons
  • Single and double rooms arranged on corridors, with all-gender bathrooms above the first floor.
  • A dining hall, community lounges, and kitchens on every floor
  • Bedrooms contain, for each occupant: an extra-long twin bed, a closet and a bureau (or wardrobe/bureau combination), a desk and desk chair, a wastebasket, recycle bin, and carpet on 2nd and 3rd floors. (Eventually all carpet from bedrooms will be removed.)
  • Wireless Internet access

Risley Residential College rooms do not have air conditioning.

Faculty Involvement

Risley has several Faculty and Community Fellows that provide students with opportunities to explore and cultivate their academic, intellectual, and cultural interests. You will find them attending events in your building, dining with students, and leading on and off campus trips to lectures, plays, films, concerts, and regional points of interest.
 

Housing Population Type

Helpful Information and Important Links

Below are resources and guidelines to support your residential experience at Cornell University. Please review the tabs below and bookmark these pages to apply for housing, browse through meal plan options, find mail and package information, and eplore the Risley community pages in CampusGroups.

Risley Residential College Contact Information 

Risley Residential College, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA

For more information about Risley (Creative Shops, Theatre, and/or Dance Studio) call (607) 255-9520 or email risley@cornell.edu. For more information about Risley Theatre, visit the website or email RisleyTheatre@cornell.edu. 

Mail and Packages

Your mailing address:
Your Name, NETID
107 Robert Purcell
Room Number, Building
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

Visit the Service Center website for student mail and package information.

Dining Options

How to Apply

Rising junior and rising senior students may select to live in a program house as part of the fall Housing Selection process while rising sophomores can select during their General Room Selection process in the spring. New students can indicate their preference to live in a program house on their New Student Housing Application.