The three enormous, Florida 1920s boom-era homes on campus—College Hall, which once housed Edith and Charles Ringling; Cook Hall, which once housed Hester Ringling Lancaster Sanford; and Caples Hall, which once housed Ellen and Ralph Caples—are the campus's most notable architectural features. These elegant buildings, which are on the National Register of Historic Places, are well-appointed and from the early to mid-1920s. They share a style with the neighboring John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and their home, Cà d'Zan. One of the main features of the Caples-Ringlings Estates Historic District is the residences. Additionally, there are other instances of I. M. Pei's high modernist architecture on the site. These structures house the student center, the cafeteria, and the "Pei" complex of housing. Palmer B, Dort, and Goldstein are the other dorms. During the 2007–2008 academic year, five new dorm structures were opened.

There are around 698 students in the university.