Stetson University
Stetson is a small private university in DeLand, central Florida — a red-brick, white-columned campus wrapped around Palm Court, halfway between Orlando and the Daytona beaches. It's the state's oldest private university, the Hatters play in green and white, and the weather is pure subtropics: hot, bright, and stormy in the afternoons.
What to wear in DeLand, month by month
The national lists assume everyone needs a winter coat. Here the real questions are heat, sun, and rain — plus clothes for buildings kept ice-cold against it.
| Move-in (Aug) | 73–92°F | Peak Florida summer — hot, humid, and bright, with a near-daily afternoon thunderstorm. The lightest clothes you own, a rain shell, and a fan for the first weeks. |
| Sept–Oct | 68–88°F | Still warm and humid, and the tail of hurricane season — watch the tropics. Shorts and tees, plus that rain jacket. |
| Nov–Dec | 50–75°F | The lovely stretch — warm days, cooler nights, low humidity. A light jacket or hoodie is all you'll want. |
| Jan–Feb | 45–70°F | DeLand's 'winter' — mostly mild and sunny, with the odd cold snap into the 40s. A sweater and one real jacket cover it; no snow, ever. |
| Mar–May | 58–86°F | A fast warm-up back into humid heat and afternoon storms. Shorts, tees, and layers for over-cranked A/C. |
What Stetson University lets you bring
- A fan and a power strip — rooms are air-conditioned, but a fan helps in the humid first weeks
- A rain jacket and an umbrella — central Florida gets near-daily afternoon thunderstorms August into fall
- Renter's/personal-property coverage — worth it in hurricane country
- 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
- Candles, incense, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps and space heaters
- Toasters, hot plates, and grills in the room — use the shared kitchens
These come from Stetson 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 Stetson University
- 01After you deposit
Pay the deposit, get MyHousing access
Submit your enrollment deposit; a housing application then opens in the MyHousing portal. Stetson guarantees on-campus housing to first-years, so this is a placement process, not a lottery.
- 02Spring
Apply + pay the housing prepayment
Complete the housing application and the required prepayment in MyHousing. Earlier applications get earlier room-selection times, so don't sit on it.
- 03Spring – early summer
Match a roommate + rank halls
Use the roommate-matching tools to find (or get matched with) a roommate, then rank hall preferences ahead of your assigned selection window.
- 04Summer
Assignment + move-in details
Your hall, room, and roommate are confirmed over the summer, along with your move-in time slot for mid-August, a few days before fall classes begin.
Where you'll live at Stetson University
First-year residence halls
Stetson is a residential campus, and nearly all first-years live on it — most in the traditional community-style halls around the historic core, with the brand-new Lynn Hall (opened January 2026) now anchoring the center of campus by the student union. Every building is air-conditioned against the Florida heat. You apply through the MyHousing portal after depositing, then rank halls and match a roommate in the spring; upperclass students can move on to the University Village Apartments.
Opened January 2026 — a four-story, 305-bed hall in the heart of campus beside the student union, pool, and fitness center. A mix of double and single rooms with suite-style and enclosed 'pod' community bathrooms, per-floor kitchens, lounges, and study rooms, plus a courtyard, fire pit, and amphitheater outside. Houses all class levels including first-years; air-conditioned, with self-loftable Twin XL beds.
A central community-style first-year hall — doubles with bathrooms down the floor, air-conditioned, steps from the dining hall and academic core.
A classic first-year community hall, doubles with shared floor bathrooms and A/C — social and close to everything.
One of the traditional first-year community halls — double rooms with community bathrooms, air-conditioned.
A pair of traditional community-style halls popular with first-years, air-conditioned, with lounges and laundry on the floors.
Stetson's oldest residence hall, an all-women community-style building on Palm Court — historic charm, air-conditioned, and a tight-knit floor culture.
Home to the Honors Program and Bonner Scholars living-learning communities — an application-based option for a smaller, academically focused first-year floor.
Built in 1955 and named for a former first lady of the university — shared-occupancy rooms sharing suite-style bathrooms.
Fifty-eight two-person rooms with private bathrooms, and the home for approved animal-friendly housing — the more private, quieter first-year option.
The Stetson University move-in checklist
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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
DeLand logistics, sorted
How to send mail to a Stetson student
[Residence Hall & Room #]
Stetson University
DeLand, FL 32723
Hatters, and a hat magnate's name
DeLand: the 'Athens of Florida'
DeLand & around
Downtown DeLand
A brick, walkable Main Street of independent shops, cafés, and restaurants — repeatedly ranked one of Florida's best downtowns, and steps from campus.
Blue Spring State Park
A spring-fed run where hundreds of manatees gather in winter — swimming, paddling, and boardwalks through the Florida woods.
Daytona Beach
The classic hard-packed Atlantic beach and the Daytona International Speedway — the nearest ocean day-trip.
Orlando
Theme parks, the airport, and a real city — Disney, Universal, and Orlando International are all about an hour down I-4.
Where to stay near Stetson University
Courtyard by Marriott DeLand Historic Downtown
Downtown DeLandA newer hotel right on downtown's Main Street, walkable to campus and the restaurants — the closest and most convenient move-in-weekend pick.
The DeLand Hotel
Downtown · ~5-min driveA small historic hotel in the Downtown DeLand Historic District, a few minutes from campus.
Hampton Inn & Suites DeLand
~6-min driveA reliable chain hotel just off Highway 92 south of downtown, with free breakfast and a pool — the family-friendly fallback when downtown books up.
Stetson University gear & gifts
Stetson University — links & contacts
- Housing & Residential Living: Visit page