On again, off again

Chart: Mark Zurolo ’01MFA

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Ever since Yale established the residential college system in the 1930s, Yale College has encouraged students to live on campus. First-years and sophomores who are under 21 are required to live on campus, but a number of juniors and seniors move out of the colleges for reasons such as a desire for independence or an effort to save money. The percentage of all undergraduates living off campus, which fell to 16.5 percent this year after a record 17.2 percent last year, has waxed and waned over the years. The graph here shows the figures for selected years since the 1930s.