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 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.