La Salle University
La Salle is a tight-knit Catholic, Lasallian university of a few thousand students on a leafy 130-acre campus in the Germantown/Olney section of North Philadelphia — small classes, a service-minded mission, and a Big 5 basketball history that punches well above the school's size. It's residential and close-knit: first- and second-years live on campus, so the community forms fast. The seasons are real Mid-Atlantic, so you're packing for a humid late-summer move-in and a genuine winter, with Center City a straight SEPTA ride down Broad Street when you want the big city.
What to wear in Philadelphia, month by month
This region runs from a humid late summer to a hard winter in about ten weeks. The mistake out-of-region families make is packing the whole year in August.
| Move-in (Aug) | 78–88°F | Warm, humid Philadelphia late summer — sticky afternoons, warm nights. Tees, shorts, and a fan for the first weeks. |
| Sept–Oct | 55–78°F | Classic Mid-Atlantic fall — crisp mornings easing into mild afternoons, real color by mid-October. Jeans, sweaters, a light jacket. |
| Nov–Dec | 35–52°F | Cold and gray, first snow usually by December. A real coat, hat, and gloves for the walk across the quad. |
| Jan–Feb | 25–40°F | True Philadelphia winter — raw wind and the occasional nor'easter. Heaviest coat, boots, and thermals. |
| Mar–May | 48–74°F | A muddy thaw into a fast, green spring — rain one week, shirtsleeves the next. A jacket and layers. |
What La Salle University lets you bring
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
These come from La Salle University's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at La Salle University
- 01Confirm you're a resident
Tell Admissions you’ll live on campus
First- and second-years not living at home are required to live on campus. Once you've confirmed with Admissions that you'll be a resident student for the year, you're cleared to apply for housing.
- 02From March 1
Complete the Housing Application
The housing application opens March 1 in the myLaSalle portal (Tools → Housing & Dining → Applications), where you rank your building and room preferences and flag any Living Learning Community or accommodation needs.
- 03From April 1
Pick a roommate
Roommate selection opens April 1 once your application is in — search and request roommates or suitemates in the portal's Room & Roommate Selection tools, or leave it and get matched from your preferences.
- 04Early June – July
Get your assignment
Living Learning Community, Honors, and medical-accommodation placements go out in early June; everyone else is assigned from mid-June into July, based on your preferences and the date you applied.
Where you'll live at La Salle University
First-year residence halls
La Salle requires first- and second-years to live on campus, and most first-years land in the traditional “St.”-named residence halls across Main and South Campus — coed by floor, furnished, and a short walk from the quad and the dining hall. The housing application opens March 1 in the myLaSalle portal, roommate selection opens April 1, and assignments go out from mid-June based on your preferences and how early you applied, with Living Learning Community, Honors, and accommodation placements settled first in early June.
A coed-by-floor hall of furnished double and quad rooms (opened 1983) — one of the go-to first-year buildings, central to campus and a straight walk to the dining hall.
On South Campus near the IBC Fitness Center and Treetops Café, with doubles and larger singles and a multi-purpose lounge that has a big-screen TV, a pool table, and a full kitchen.
One of the older residences (opened 1966), with spacious furnished double and single rooms — traditional corridor living in the residential core of campus.
A newer, larger residence (opened 2005) housing around 430 students — three wings are suite-style, with four students sharing two bedrooms and a bath, and the fourth is traditional doubles with communal bathrooms. Lounges, study rooms, and special-purpose spaces throughout.
Four-to-five-student townhouses with a full kitchen, living room, and two baths — the apartment-style living most students move into after their first year.
The La Salle University move-in checklist
The “Shop” links are Amazon affiliate links — a purchase may earn AllDorms a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
Philadelphia logistics, sorted
How to send mail to a La Salle student
[Residence Hall], Room [Room #]
La Salle University
1900 W. Olney Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19141
Explorers, blue and gold
A residential campus with the city close
Philadelphia & around
Chestnut Hill
One of Philadelphia's prettiest neighborhoods, about 15 minutes away — a cobblestoned stretch of Germantown Avenue lined with boutiques and cafés, plus the Morris Arboretum and the Woodmere Art Museum.
Center City Philadelphia
The SEPTA Broad Street Line and Regional Rail both run downtown — City Hall, Reading Terminal Market, the Parkway museums, and Rittenhouse Square, a straight ride south.
Wissahickon Valley Park
An 1,800-acre gorge of forest and creek trails inside Fairmount Park, a short drive from campus — Forbidden Drive, covered bridges, and the closest real escape into nature.
Manayunk
The riverside neighborhood's Main Street bars, restaurants, and canal towpath — a popular weekend spot a short drive or ride from campus.
Where to stay near La Salle University
Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue
City Ave · ~15-min driveThe hotel La Salle points parents to — it offers a discounted “La Salle rate,” with an indoor pool and Delmonico's Steakhouse, about fifteen minutes from campus.
Courtyard by Marriott Philadelphia City Avenue
City Ave · ~15-min driveA dependable Marriott on City Avenue near the Hilton, a short drive from campus — easy, no-surprises booking for move-in and Family Weekend.
Chestnut Hill Hotel
Chestnut Hill · ~15-min driveA boutique hotel on Chestnut Hill's historic Germantown Avenue, walkable to that neighborhood's shops, cafés, and restaurants — a nicer-setting option a short drive from campus.
La Salle University gear & gifts
La Salle University — links & contacts
- Office of Residence Life: 215-951-1370
- Bookstore: 215-951-1395