Beds & Linens

The beds on campus at Northeastern University are Twin XL beds. In both traditional residence halls like Stetson Hall West or Speare Hall and apartment-style residence halls like Rubenstein Hall, and the West Campus Residence Halls, students get to sleep on a bed that is 39 inches wide and 80 inches long.

Some other Universities, however, such as American University in Washington, D.C. and The University of North Carolina - Greensboro, some residence halls feature beds that are Full XL, giving students beds that feature 38.5 percent more space. Full XL beds are 54 inches wide and 80 inches long. The beds at other institutions came about because of student suggestions and complaints that the Twin XL beds were too childish or small. Given that off-campus students are free to choose any bed they want, and many students come to Northeastern accustomed to Full, Queen, or even King size bed, the idea of making a switch is something that the Housing Services Committee is looking into.

The switch is something that would make sense when beds are being replaced anyway for cost-effectiveness reasons. As Northeastern University is very much tuition dependent, any additional costs end up being passed onto students through tuition, housing, and dining charges or other fees. It also would likely only make sense in apartment-style housing because most traditional residence hall spaces will be too small to fit Full XL beds.

One inconvenience of Twin XL or Full XL beds versus standard Twin or Full beds is that finding linens for these beds can often be difficult. However, a switch to standard Twin or standard Full beds would lead to beds that are too short for many students. However, the Resident Student Association is able to offer students and parents an easy way to obtain Twin XL linens for on-campus beds at discounted prices. If you go to this website, you can order linens. A great advantage of ordering linens this way is that they are guaranteed to fit your bed when you move-in.