As students’ college decisions roll in, incoming freshmen begin to plan their next four years of independence away from home and transition into the adult world. Most students will start to take control of their own finances, no longer have parental oversight over their academics and more significantly, live alone on college campuses. While they are learning to take care of various responsibilities, students will be met with an even larger problem: mold. 

Mold is a fungus that appears due to the interaction of moisture and oxygen. When a damp spot persistently lingers in indoor spaces, mold spores can begin to accumulate and grow there. As college dorms tend to be older and have low maintenance, mold growth holds a greater risk in these buildings from features like burst pipes, old HVAC systems and poor air circulation. These allow for prolonged moisture in dormitories. In line with this, one study found over 265 cases of mold have been reported on college campuses in the past five years. 

While mold is a fungus, it isn’t harmful in all cases. In fact, mold spores are naturally present in the air and inhaled by humans daily. These omnipresent spores are dispersed and microscopic, meaning airborne mold is wafted in the air at low concentrations. If inhaled, human immune systems can easily target the fungi and attack it through its innate immune response. However, when mold cultivates into a focused area, the surrounding air becomes highly concentrated of mold spores. Due to this, individuals who are exposed become more susceptible to health issues. 

In general, indoor dorm mold can induce allergic reactions, mold infections and other respiratory diseases. This is because the airborne mold fungi is seen as foreign invaders to the immune system and starts up multiple attacks, using antibodies like histamines to fight off the body’s mistaken attackers. While a lot of the health issues caused are curable, the growing danger of the diseases spawns from not addressing the continuous indoor mold problem in dorms that colleges often ignore. 

Though, when mold cases involve mycotoxins, students can face dire and potentially irreversible consequences. Mycotoxins can grow with mold and are a poisonous, toxic fungus. Not all indoor mold spores have mycotoxins, as they are chemical byproducts of mold and only grow under optimal environmental conditions. However, if mycotoxins are present, they can cause grave consequences, including gut inflammation, hormonal changes and neurotoxic effects. The neurotoxic effects are most alarming as symptoms include brain fog, fatigue and alterations to mood. If mold remains unchecked, like in many dorms, the effects can become irreversible.

While colleges’ improper maintenance of dormitories is primarily to blame for the growth of indoor mold, students too must maintain their own rooms. Student-based causes to dorm mold include leaving spaces dirty, not using bathrooms fans and allowing rugs, clothes and towels to stay wet. These increase humidity in dorms furthering prolonged moisture. Additionally, students can take their own extra precautions to prematurely prevent mold growth. Bringing a dehumidifier or air purifier to college can control the high levels of humidity and mold spores that spark large accumulations of mold. This step can ease the battle of dorm living and the risk of mold. 

Over the years, the issue has gained more awareness and even faced legal action. Multiple lawsuits have been filed on behalf of students on the emotional, medical and physical damage caused by ongoing mold issues. In Sept. 2025, 11 students from the University of the South sued the school for $35 million, after deliberately exposing their freshman students to a contaminated dormitory. Testing found the mold levels in the dorm rooms were 2200 times higher than the level outside the room. However, the school chose to situate their students into the hall and allowed them to suffer health consequences. 

As a majority of schools require their freshman class to live on campus, more effort must be put into creating safe places for students to reside through the course of their first year. While students should keep preventative measures in mind at all times, schools need to respond well to reports and issues of mold and assist students in their transition to college. By increasing awareness and bringing attention to the issue, more legal action and health-based prevention can address the growing threat that on-campus residents face.