The University of Arizona’s Arizona-Sonora residence hall will not welcome any undergraduate students for the 2026-2027 academic year.
In a recent post on @uazhousing, the university’s official housing Instagram account, the university announced that Arizona-Sonora will now be used as graduate overflow housing.
According to Ali Santander, associate director of marketing and communications for Arizona Housing, housing and residential life will adjust to each year’s dorm assignment forecasts and student’s housing needs.
“For the 2026-27 academic year, the university expects more graduate students and a higher percentage of undergraduate students from the Tucson area,” Santander said.
The shift in demographics has allowed for the “Arizona-Sonora dorm [to] provide graduate student housing to meet increased demand.” Santander said.
In this year’s fall enrollment report, published by the Arizona Board of Regents, “undergraduate first-time and transfer students contributed the largest part of the [population] decrease, with a 14.5 percent drop from fall 2024.” The fall enrollment report said for fall 2025.
The proportion of resident student enrollment increased by 2.8 percentage points, according to the report.
“I am sad it’s switching to graduate housing because it was such a fundamental part of my freshman year, along with many other undergraduate students.” Lauren Dempsey, UA senior and former Arizona-Sonora resident, said.
“I do foresee complications,” Dempsey said. “I don’t think the location is suitable for graduate students because it is right in one of the most important dorm districts for freshmen.”
University spokesperson declined to give a comment on the specific dorm modifications but provided a press release on other housing changes.
This announcement follows a previous announcement made last year about the closure of another undergraduate dormitory Kaibab-Huachuca.
Kaibab-Huachuca saw closure due to speculation over lower enrollment, as reported by the Daily Wildcat last year.
