Living at UWC brings people from every background together under one roof.
You will find yourself sharing not only a room but also daily moments that build real friendships. Cooking together, studying late, swapping stories and traditions from home – this is where your community begins.
Most UWC schools offer boarding in small shared rooms with one to four other students. Rooms belong to larger residences or boarding houses that include dedicated pastoral staff. These pastoral staff members, who are teachers and staff members living on campus, help create a caring atmosphere. Everyone learns from each other’s experiences and supports one another. Many describe their residence as a family away from home.
Community spaces and facilities
Every UWC setting is unique, but you will find spaces that bring people together. Dining halls or canteens keep everyone fed and chatting long after meals. Libraries and study rooms give you space to focus. Gyms, swimming pools, sports pitches or music rooms help you stay active and creative. Social areas and common rooms make it easy to relax and connect with friends.
Some campuses sit in forests, mountains or fjords, surrounded by nature. Others feel woven into the heart of local towns and villages. At places like UWC Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina or UWC Adriatic in Italy, daily life blends naturally with the wider community.
Life skills you carry forward
Living closely with people from around the world will test your patience and expand your perspective. Disagreements will happen over music, shoes in the hallway or different political views. These moments teach you to handle conflict, listen well and balance your own beliefs with respect for others.
You will discover sides of yourself that classroom lessons alone could never reveal. Through shared living, you develop empathy, curiosity and a genuine understanding of how diverse the world can be.
Connections that last
Friendships from your UWC residence often continue for life. Many students say the late-night conversations and ordinary moments are what they remember most. People you once called roommates become your closest allies around the world.
Residential life at UWC helps you grow in ways that go beyond those of an ordinary boarding school. You build the trust, openness and adaptability that prepare you to live and lead in any community you choose.
