UT Austin Pulls Dobie Twenty21's 980 Beds From Housing Pool

The University of Texas at Austin is removing 980 beds from its campus housing inventory for the 2027-28 academic year, closing the 27-story Dobie Twenty21 complex even though some students have already signed contracts for rooms there.

Dobie Twenty21 contains 504 units at the corner of 21st and Guadalupe streets. University officials did not provide a reason for taking the building offline. UT Senior Director of Media Strategy Mike Rosen said the housing team "is committed to helping students find a home on or adjacent to our campus and providing housing that is affordable for our students."

Students who had planned to live at Dobie Twenty21 or already renewed their contracts can select rooms in other residence halls during a priority window running Nov. 2 to Nov. 6. Those who decide to rent outside university housing receive refunds of a $300 prepayment and a $100 application fee.

UT paid $104 million in October 2021 to buy the property, previously called the Dobie Center. For the current 2026-27 year, Dobie was the cheapest residence hall on campus: a shared room with a private bath runs $13,324 per person. A single room with a private bath in Duren Hall costs $20,961.

The original Dobie Center opened in the early 1970s with student housing above a shopping mall underneath, and it held the title of the city's tallest building at the time. Daniel Johnston worked at the Dobie Mall McDonald's and painted his Jeremiah the Bullfrog mural nearby in 1993. Michael Dell began selling computers from his Dobie dorm room in 1984; UT System Chairman Kevin Eltife said in April that Dobie Twenty21 would be renamed Dell House in his honor.

The university has not said what will become of the building during the 2027-28 year.