AUB is a residential university in the American liberal arts tradition. It is the first and still one of the few residential universities in the Middle East offering a beautiful campus where a rich extra-curricular and community life flourishes. Life in the AUB residence system has a high degree of certainty, predictability, and reliability. Most of the dormitories boast a stable and nostalgic memory in their historic stone buildings so that each coming generation has a certain tale to tell another. About one-fifth of all students and many faculty members and their families live on-campus in university housing. AUB believes in the preservation of strong, supportive communities, which exist in all of its living groups.

Freshman students whose parents reside outside Beirut or its suburbs are required to live in the University's residence halls throughout their first year, unless otherwise authorized by their parents. The Student Affairs Office strives to create and maintain an atmosphere in the residence halls that will help the student grow spiritually, academically, emotionally and socially.

A major goal is to help the students learn skills that will be needed outside the university life.