College Membership Allocation Process – Postgraduate Students (2026 Entry) 

All postgraduate students at Durham University are allocated a college for membership as part of their offer. College membership is a core part of postgraduate life at Durham and applies to all students, regardless of where they live or whether they choose to apply for University accommodation.

Your college provides an academic and social community alongside your department, bringing together postgraduate students from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds.

Applying for College Membership

Postgraduate college membership is managed through the combined Membership and Accommodation Application, which opens on 30 March 2026. To access the application, you must first accept your academic offer from Durham University.

Within the application, you will be invited to:

• rank up to five colleges in order of preference for membership.

Submitting preferences allows the University to take your choices into account, but does not guarantee allocation to a specific college.

If you accept your academic offer within 10 working days of your programme start date the University will automatically allocate you a college to ensure your membership is confirmed before enrolment.

Once you submit the application, you will receive an automated confirmation email confirming that your preferences have been received.

How College Membership Is Allocated

College membership allocations are made using published criteria to ensure the process is fair, consistent, and transparent. Allocation decisions take account of:

• your ranked college preferences;
• your type of study (taught or research);
• your fee status (home or international); and
• any confirmed Disability Support recommendations (where applicable).

All postgraduate students will receive confirmation of their college membership, including those who do not request or accept University accommodation.

Disability Support and Adjustments

If you have a disability or medical condition, you are encouraged to disclose this as early as possible.

Confirmed recommendations from Disability Support are considered as part of the college allocation process. Where possible, reasonable adjustments are made within your allocated college. Adjustments are made to remove barriers to access and participation and are not based on personal preference.

Part-Time and Distance Learning Students

Part-time and distance learning postgraduate students are also allocated a college for membership. While these students are not eligible for University accommodation, college membership provides access to academic and social opportunities and college-based support.

After accepting your offer to study at Durham, all part time (PT) and distance learning (DL) students are automatically allocated college membership. Students will be allocated to one of the six designated colleges that support PT/DL students based on their programme of study:

• John Snow College
• Trevelyan College
• Hatfield College
• St Mary’s College
• Van Mildert College
• St Aidan’s College

Students enrolled in Theology PT/DL programmes will automatically be allocated to St John’s College.

Communication and Decision-Making

All communications relating to postgraduate college membership are issued directly to students by email.

College membership allocations are made in line with this published process and are not subject to individual negotiation or reconsideration outside the policy.