Baker Hall and Blackburn House represent two different tiers within university housing. Credit: Amal Saeed and Thomas Jeffrey
There are 42 residence halls on Ohio State’s campus. However, not all residence halls are created equally.
Ohio State uses a standard rating system to classify the different residence halls. There are four rates — 1, 2, 2A, and 3 — decreasing in cost from rate 1 to 3, according to the university’s housing website. The rates are based on the quality of the residence halls and amenities, with 1 being the highest quality and 3 having fewer amenities.
Many Rate 1 residence halls have air conditioning and are new or remodeled, according to the university’s housing website. On the other hand, many Rate 3 residence halls do not have air conditioning and are older, according to the website.
Rate 1 residence halls cost $4,329 per semester, and Rate 3 residence halls cost $3,371 per semester, according to the website.
Blackburn House on North campus is Rate 1, for example, while Baker Hall on South campus is classified as 3, according to the website.
According to the website, some of Blackburn’s amenities include air conditioning and multiple study areas. Baker Hall lacks both, according to the university’s housing website.
Jose Segura-Bermudez, a first-year in biomedical science, said Blackburn residents are aware of the amenities to which they have access.
“The rooms are nice. They’re air-conditioned,” Segura-Bermudez said. “There’s nice study areas around. I honestly don’t have any complaints about living in Blackburn.”
Similarly, students living in Baker Hall have taken notice of the lack of amenities, specifically air conditioning, Richie Petrillo, a first-year in exploration, said.
“There’s no AC or anything, so you wake up every morning sweating, which causes you to have to take a shower every morning,” Petrillo said. “You can’t really control it, and it gets very uncomfortable.”
Silvio LaSardo, a first-year in finance, said there is also an excessive use of heat.
“They blast the heat,” LaSardo said. “When it gets too cold, they blast the heat, and then it gets too hot.”
University spokesperson Dave Isaacs said the rates take into account a number of factors that may impact students.
“Ohio State Student Life University Housing offers three rate tiers to accommodate the various needs of students, including financial,” Isaacs said. “The tiers are designated based on factors including the age of the hall, whether it has been extensively renovated, room occupancy, and whether the hall is air-conditioned.”
