michael via Flickr

Many colleges allow students to keep fish in small tanks in their dorm rooms. It’s a lot more uncommon to find a college that allows more interactive pets to live with student owners. For students who feel they need a four-legged companion while they’re away at school, these colleges are worth a look.

1. Eckerd College

Eckerd College via Facebook

At Eckerd, students are allowed to apply to have an animal live with them after their first semester. There are eight separate dedicated pet-friendly housing facilities at Eckerd, which house dogs, cats and even ducks with their owners. Besides these facilities, small animals in cages or tanks are allowed in all halls.

2. Lees-McRae College

Lees-McRae College via Facebook

Students at Lees-McRae are allowed to bring a family pet to live with them on-campus after two semesters in college housing. The college has several approved pet-friendly housing units and welcomes most conventional types of pets. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to bring their pets to campus.

3. Stephens College

Stephens College via Facebook

Stephens has welcomed many types of pets on campus for more than ten years. Students who are unable to bring a pet to campus can still participate in the pet-friendly community by fostering a pet from a local shelter before the pet finds a long-term family.

4. Stetson University

Stetson45 via Wikimedia Commons

Stetson allows a variety of animals in two of its residence halls, and hosts a service dog program which gives students the opportunity to train and foster future service dogs. The university also allows faculty and staff members to bring well-behaved pets to work as company in the office.

5. Principia College

Principia College via Facebook

Several of Principia’s on-campus residence facilities are pet-friendly, allowing small caged animals like hamsters, rabbits, amphibians, and such live with their student owners. Some faculty and staff housing even allow dogs and cats!

6. Washington and Jefferson College

Washington and Jefferson College via Facebook

W&J’s pet-friendly dorm is aptly called the Pet House, and houses up to 32 students and their family pets. Dogs, cats, and many others are all welcome in the Pet House, and fish are welcome in all other residence halls.

7. University of Northern Colorado

UNC via Facebook

UNCO welcomes pets of (nearly) all types in Lawrenson Hall, a suite-style, on-campus residence hall. The pet-friendly housing program began testing the idea of pet-friendly housing in 2014 after requests from students who wished for an animal companion other than a fish.

8. University of Idaho

University of Idaho via Facebook

The University of Idaho allows students to keep birds or cats (in addition to fish) in some of its on-campus apartments. While many housing departments place age restrictions on animals that may be kept in on-campus housing, Idaho students may own kittens.

9. Johnson and Wales University–Providence

Stephen Spencer via Facebook

Starting next year, JWU will be piloting on-campus, pet-friendly communities in three residence halls. Bunnies, cats, and most dogs (among others) will be welcome in designated areas starting in August.

10. University of Washington

Sea Turtle via Flickr

The University of Washington designates one of its on-campus apartment buildings as pet-friendly, where students can choose to live with their dog or cat for an additional deposit.

11. University of Illinois

Flickr user Matty Sides

UI allows up to two companion animals per room in one of its apartment-style residence halls. Companion animals are considered any animals typically thought of as household pets–not including exotics. In addition, students may have a fish tank up to 50 gallons!

12. MIT

MIT via Facebook

Cats have been allowed in four of MIT’s twelve dorm buildings since 2000. Unlike some college pet policies, MIT doesn’t require that your cat is over a certain age or that it lived with your family before moving to school with you. Moreover, cats are not restricted to an owner’s room, and are allowed in the hallway and neighbors’ rooms.

13. Caltech

Caltech via Flickr

Two cats each are allowed in seven of Caltech’s undergraduate houses. In addition to cats, Caltech students may own other types of pets which can be humanely enclosed in a 20 gallon aquarium or terrarium. However, dogs and birds aren’t allowed.

Additional colleges which allow some small animals:

14. Case Western Reserve University
15. Middlebury College
16. University of Florida
17. SUNY Canton
18. Harvey-Mudd College
19. Ohio Wesleyan University
20. Reed College

Didn’t see your pet-friendly college on this list? Comment below and let us know what your school does to create a welcoming environment for furry friends.

Interested in any of these schools? Use College Raptor’s free match tool to see if they’re a good fit for you!