Northwest Nazarene University's residence halls have a capacity for more than 800 students and are divided into upper and lower division categories. Students required to live on campus are:
- All traditional freshmen
- All unmarried students who are not 21 prior to the start of a semester
- All students who are younger than 21 on or before the first day of the semester
- All students who do not reside with parents or guardians
Students who are under the age of 17 and over the age of 23 will have to apply for an exception through the Office of Student Life, housing is not guaranteed.
Students who desire to live off-campus must apply by filling out Off-Campus Housing Forms and must meet established criteria as stated in the on-line handbook. In addition, off-campus students are expected to observe the same general rules of conduct as residential students.