All first-year students live on floors with other first-year students. Besides the traditional residence hall experience, students can choose from:
• A Residential College: Students may apply to join one of six "Residential Colleges" where you’ll take a class and join in discussions built around a college’s specific interest — arts, environmental, global, society and technology, social justice, and humanities. 
• A CHOICE hall: "Choosing Healthy Options in Community Environments" is a popular approach to healthy, substance-free living.
• A quiet floor:  Some students appreciate an environment with fewer distractions and a 24-hour quiet atmosphere. 
• The Leadership Living Community offers intentional leadership development for first-year students in a community with others who share similar interests.
After their fist year, students can apply to live in a variety of settings:  traditional residence halls, apartment-style facilities, small house communities (which include both special interest houses and theme houses), substance-free or quiet housing, as well as off-campus housing with priority given to rising seniors.  Bucknell guarantees housing for all four years.