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College dorms provide beds equipped with mattresses, but you’ll probably have to bring your own sheets. Oh, and they are traditionally not too comfy, so you’ll probably need a mattress topper. But, what size are dorm beds? What if you want to try to get your own mattress into the dorm? You need to know the bed dimensions to make any of that work.
What size are dorm beds in college?
The most common college bed sizes you’ll come across are the Twin XL and Twin-size beds (although not always standard size). A twin is 75 inches long and 38 inches wide. A Twin XL is 80 inches long and 38 inches wide.
The Twin XL size is in 80% of all dorm rooms because it can host almost everybody, but some places (less commonly, though) have Full, Full XL, and some (lucky) college students have private rooms with Queen beds.
In most cases, you’ll be required to bring your own sheets, comforter, pillows, and mattress topper/pad, unless stated otherwise.
You should be able to confirm all the details about your particular dorm on your college’s website.
A number of dorms offer dorm bedding. Some people may think it’s repulsive, but at least you’ll know this bedding fits the dorm mattress perfectly well.
Twin XL beds
As I mentioned above, your dorm room bed is most likely to be equipped with a Twin XL mattress that’s 80 inches long and 38 inches wide.
Even your own bed at home might be a Twin XL.
To compare a Twin XL bed to other mattress sizes: it’s 5 inches longer than a regular Twin, which makes it the same length as a Queen mattress.
If width is your concern, 38 inches is more than enough. Here’s how – Queen-sized beds are 60 inches wide and they are made for two people to sleep comfortably.
This leaves 30 inches of room for each sleeper. Typical dorm room beds give you 8 inches more.
That’s more than enough for you to enjoy sleeping, sprawling, and cuddling with that giant teddy bear you dragged along from your little hometown.
Twin beds (and custom-sized Twin beds)
Regular Twin beds are 75 inches long and 38 inches wide.
This bed size is good enough for a lot of people in the average height range, but maybe not enough for taller students.
If your dorm has Twin beds, you can buy all accessories in Twin size, but you could also use the ones for a Twin XL bed.
All you have to do is tuck away any excess sheets.
Also, if you already have a Twin XL comforter, you can let the longer end hang down from the bed.
Twin mattress size is also known as a Single bed. Read our twin vs. single mattress article for more details.
Mattresses for regular Twin beds cost somewhere between $300 and $600, just in case you’re contemplating buying one, but please read my advice on bringing your own mattress first (it’s down below).
Custom Twin beds
Most dorms that have Twin beds actually don’t have standard Twin-sized beds.
They tend to be a few inches shorter and narrower, and some might be the same width as the standard Twin bed.
Here are some options for custom Twin beds in college dorm rooms:
- 77″ x 36″
- 74″ x 36″
- 79″ x 33″
Since these are not bigger than the standard Twin size, you can easily get Twin-size sheets and a duvet cover for them.
Now for the lesser common beds.
The three bed sizes below are rare and might only be available in select dorms or in private rooms.
Full beds
A Full-sized mattress is what you’d get if a Queen mattress and a Twin mattress had a baby.
It’s 75 inches long and 54 inches wide.
So, it’s as long as a Twin and almost as wide as a Queen. All in all, a bed for true sprawlers.
Full XL beds
If a Full bed is a mashup of a Queen and a Twin, then a Full XL is a mashup of a Queen and a Twin XL mattress.
Full XL mattresses measure 80 inches in length (as long as both Queen and Twin XL), and 54 inches in width (same width as a regular Full).
Queen beds
Finally, Queen mattresses are the rarest of the rare finds in private rooms of college dorms.
The good news?
The dimensions of a queen mattress are 80 inches long by 60 inches wide. All to yourself.
The bad news? Queen toppers are expensive. Sheets are also more expensive than the ones made for smaller-sized beds.
How tall are college dorm beds?
The maximum height of some college dorm beds is 70″, while the lowest (non-lofted) beds can be about 20″ tall.
College dorm bed height varies depending on the campus and bed height settings available to you.
In some dorms, you may only have 3 to 6 inches of room under the bed, while lofted beds can give you six feet of space beneath.
Some dorms only give you the option to raise your bed with bed raisers, and others have many more options, including bunk beds.
You need to check with the student housing department you’ll actually be staying in to see what your options are. More often than not, you’ll find different options in different rooms.
You shouldn’t purchase sheets or make any big plans for under-bed storage before you see your actual dorm bed.
Are college dorm mattresses comfortable?
Not really. They are generally considered uncomfortable.
Most students who complain about their mattresses say that theirs is too firm. The second biggest complaint is that mattresses give them back pain.
On the other hand, some college students arrive at the dorm with their own mattresses but then realize that the dorm bed is actually quite comfy and just right for them.
Whether it’s because they like firm mattresses or they were just lucky to be in a dorm with plush mattresses, we can’t really know; nobody ever went around and tested beds in all dorms to be able to compare. We can only rely on anecdotal evidence.
Most students who do have a comfy mattress try to solve the problem with mattress pads and mattress toppers. Sometimes more than one at a time.
Bear in mind that a mattress pad is a thin cover that is placed on top of the bed, whereas a mattress topper is a few inches thick and offers more padding.
But since you don’t know whether you’ll end up with a comfy bed or not, I’d recommend taking a good Twin XL mattress topper with you just in case.
If the mattress seems unsalvageable, you can then think about other options.
Can I bring my own mattress to a college dorm?
In general, you shouldn’t because college dorm beds come with mattresses and they can’t be taken out.
This is why you’ll see rules about dorm mattresses having to be kept on beds and never removed from the college dorm room. Most student housing departments tend to decline requests to bring your own bed.
However, every year, there are a number of students who do bring their own mattresses to their dorm rooms.
Some stack them on top of the existing mattress, and others slide the original mattress under the bed.
The dorm may be more or less strict about it, but most of them don’t bug students about mattresses once they are already there because mattresses don’t pose a danger to anyone, unlike electric blankets or various appliances.
However, it is unfair to your roommates because you’ll be taking up valuable space with an unused mattress.
After all, your room is a small space where everyone is trying to coexist.
If you still want to bring a mattress, good luck to you! Here’s our list of the best college mattresses for students, but if those are too expensive for you, just make sure that the cheaper mattress you go for isn’t one of the fiberglass mattresses (which is the last thing you need in your dorm room).
What size sheets fit on college dorm mattresses?
So far, I mentioned a total of eight sizes of beds (including the three custom sizes), but there could be many more.
The three custom Twin sizes I found are not all there is; rather, you should use them as a pointer.
Many dorm beds are similar to Twin, but not exactly the same. Virtually every college dorm can order the exact dimensions of beds that work for their particular room sizes, so there could be dozens of similar sizes.
So, what are the best sheets for each college bed size? It’s easy for dorm beds of standard sizes (just get standard bed sheets of the same size).
But if you can’t get the exact size, here’s how you can choose the close-to-the-right bedding.
Twin sheets fit:
- Twin beds
- Custom Twin beds (anything in the vicinity of 75″ x 38″, not more than 2″ longer or wider)
Twin XL sheets fit:
- Twin beds
- Custom Twin beds
- Twin XL beds
Full sheets fit:
- Full beds
- Twin beds (if you don’t mind having 8 inches of fabric on each side to tuck away)
Full XL sheets fit:
- Full beds
- Full XL beds
- Twin XL beds (could technically work if you really had to use them, but there’s going to be a bit too much to tuck in on the left and right side)
Queen sheets fit:
- Full beds
- Full XL beds
- Queen beds
The best sheets for a good night’s sleep are made of cotton or linen.
They are natural, breathable, and won’t make you hot or stick to your body when you sweat. When purchasing sheets, make sure they are 100% natural.
And, of course, if your sheets at home fit your dorm bed, you might skip getting new sheets.
If you’re using sheets bigger than your dorm bed, bear in mind that a simple flat sheet tends to be easier to tuck than a fitted sheet.
Flat sheets are also easier to fold, but it’s never too late to learn how to fold fitted sheets.
For extra hygiene, you can get a mattress protector, although it can be hard to find protectors that could be the perfect fit for custom mattresses.
FAQs
No. A Twin XL measures 38″ by 80″, while a Full size is 54″ by 75″. This means that a Full-size mattress is 14″ wider than a Twin XL, which, on the other hand, is 5″ longer.
You’re likely to have 19 inches of space underneath a bed of a regular height. However, many dorms give you the option to loft your mattress up higher. A Captain-height bed gives you 31 inches of room below. Finally, a loft bed without a bottom bunk can give you about 56 inches of space, which is enough for a desk, shelves, musical instruments, an easel, or whatever you need it for.
You can usually find 6-inch mattresses and 8-inch mattresses in college dorms.
It’s crucial. Sleep is like health – when it’s good, you can do anything you set your mind to. When it’s bad, you’re in for a tough ride. Students who sleep well are better learners – it’s scientifically proven and, if we’re being honest, we didn’t need science to tell us that. We’ve all noticed doing better when we’re properly rested. Want to know how to get good sleep? Check out our College student sleep guide.
Conclusion
Most colleges have Twin XL beds that can be lofted.
However, not every dorm is the same and there are some variations, which is why you should first check the website of your college campus or call them to get the exact information.
Dorm mattresses are notoriously uncomfortable and many students buy mattress pads and memory foam mattress toppers to make their beds more comfortable.
Sheets shouldn’t be a big concern to anyone. Some sheets can work for a number of mattress sizes; for example, Twin XL can fit on Twin, custom Twin, and Twin XL beds, so you don’t have to have the correct sheets for each bed size.
Next step: Read our Casper mattress review. If you’re lucky enough to be able to bring your own mattress to college, Casper is a good brand to go with. We came up with a list of benefits and drawbacks so you can decide for yourself if it’s the right brand for you.
With over 5 years experience writing about sleep and mattresses, she's considered one of the go-to experts on the topic.
She likes cycling, nature, art, and languages. She pays special attention to providing you with accurate and useful information when it comes to your sleep quality.
After solving her personal sleep and tiredness problems, she is on to help others by sharing this invaluable information.
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