Housing and Transportation
Where you live and how you get to your classes are important parts of university life.
McMaster provides the information you need to help you decide whether you should apply for residence or seek housing off campus. If you live off campus, you will also get information about public transportation options and parking services to help you with your commute.
Housing
On Campus
McMaster has 12 residence buildings with 3 styles of accommodation. Ten of the residences are the traditional dorm room and 2 are furnished apartments or townhouses for upper-year students.
You can also choose to live in lifestyle-themed communities, including quiet or all-female communities, and living-learning communities that include themes such as Women in Leadership and Healthy Active Living.
View McMaster’s residence options.
Housing & Conference Services, in partnership with Indigenous Student Services, offers reserved spaces in residence for first-year Indigenous students who do not have a guaranteed space. This, however, does not guarantee a student will be placed in a specific building and/or room type (i.e., apartment, suite). Students are also responsible for applicable fees.
Residence Life
Residence life is about more than where you live – it is where you will find a community. With a senior student mentor to guide you, you will have the chance to participate in exciting programming that builds on what you are learning inside the classroom while getting to know students from different programs.
Find out more about residence life at McMaster.
Off Campus
McMaster has an Off-Campus Resource Centre that can help you find housing in Hamilton. You can search 4 types of housing:
- Co-op or short-term rentals
- Student rentals
- Sublets
- Graduate, faculty and staff rentals
Meal Plans
Whether you live in residence or off campus, finding a place to eat is made easier with the university’s meal plans, which give you access to both on- and off-campus vendors.
View McMaster’s meal plans and prices.
Transportation
Public Transportation
McMaster offers a bus pass, the McMaster Student U-Pass, that gives you access to Hamilton’s Street Railway, the transit system in Hamilton. You can use the U-Pass from September through August, and the cost of the U-Pass is included in your student fees.
Parking Services
Security and Parking Services operates McMaster’s public parking on campus. McMaster also encourages alternative transportation options, such as bicycles, carpooling and GO Transit.
