Clarke University

The Wahlert Atrium is the main building of the campus and is depicted in much of the graphic art associated with the college. It was built in 1986, following the fire which destroyed four main buildings on the south end of the campus. It is made of glass and steel, with inner rooms framed by brick walls. From the Atrium, one can access any of the other buildings on the south side of the campus. The Atrium holds classrooms for art and music, as well as the Jansen Music Hall (recital hall on campus), the library, Sacred Heart Chapel, administrative offices, and the switchboard.

Catherine Byrne Hall is the main hall of classrooms for the university. Many faculty offices are located in this hall, including a number of those faculty teaching in the fields of mathematics, sciences, and business. In addition to a number of classrooms, there are a number of rooms designated for laboratory teaching in the physics, chemistry, and biology fields. There is a cadaver laboratory in the basement, as well as a planetarium on the top floor. Catherine Byrne Hall is generally regarded as only one of two major halls that is colloquially mentioned by its initials.

Eliza Kelly Hall is one of the three remaining buildings on the campus that have survived from the origination of the college to the present day. It houses offices of faculty that teach in the music, art, drama and musical theatre, and communication departments. There are also a number of practice rooms for music students to use at their convenience. Colloquially, students refer to the hall as "Eliza Kelly". In Dubuque, Clarke was known as the "College for the Arts", although the university announced in December 2018 that Drama and Musical Theater would not longer be offered as a major, and that the BFA was being discontinued. Despite this, the faculty of the Visual and Performing Arts Department remains impressive. The art faculty consists of Eric Wold (graphic design), Louise Kames (printmaking), Jessica Rebik (painting/drawing), and Jessica Teckemeyer (sculpture/ceramics). The faculty of the drama and musical theatre programs include Ellen Gabrielleschi (designer), Nick Halder (director, theatre history and literature), and Joe Klinebriel (director, actor, voice and movement).

Mary Benedict Hall is the female underclass dormitory of the university. A number of upperclass women also live here, at their discretion. It is a five-floor building with a basement that holds a hallway linking it to the rest of the southern side of campus. In addition to student dormitories, there is a recreational center in the basement (known as the "Lions Den"), and apartments for visitors on the ground floor of the building. Most of the students refer to the building colloquially as "Mary Ben."

Mary Frances Hall

Mary Frances Hall is the co-ed upperclass dormitory of the university. It is reserved for juniors and seniors who maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or better. It is one of two buildings in the college where students may possess alcohol, and then only students over 21 may have it legally in their rooms. It is one of the three "original" buildings still remaining from the origination of the college. It is a four-story building with a central complex extending into western and eastern wings. The first and second floors are reserved for female students, with the third floor reserved for male students. The fourth floor is used for storage, and is generally thought to be haunted. The legend that floats about campus is of a nun hanging herself in her room with the blood oozing onto the floor, which reappears each time the floor has been cleaned. Also, there had been an etching on the window that is sometimes visible from the outside which reads, "Help Me". When fewer students occupy this building, paranormal activity increases.

Mary Frances Hall is colloquially called "Mary Fran".

Mary Josita Hall is the male underclass dormitory of the university. It is four stories tall, with a basement hallway linking it to Mary Benedict Hall. There are also some campus offices in the basement of Mary Josita Hall, including the main security office and the main Residence Life office. The main dining hall is also located in the basement of the building. The first floor is reserved for offices of faculty that teach in the humanities, philosophy, social sciences, political sciences, and history departments. The configuration of the next three stories has varied from year to year based upon enrollment and students electing to live on campus, but generally the majority of residents in Mary Josita Hall are male.

The Kehl Center is the main athletic and social area of the university. There are two main sections of the center – the arena area and surrounding offices, and the "Student Activity Center" which includes the student union and some student life offices. The arena area of the Kehl Center includes an indoor track, a competition basketball court (with three intramural basketball courts overlapping the main court), two racquetball courts (one filled with cardio equipment), one newly designed weight room, and locker room facilities. In the Student Activity Center, there is a game room, the Whitlow Bookstore, the Crusader Cafe (an alternative to the main dining hall set up in the fashion of a fast-food grill), the Mail Center, and a stage for entertainment. The Kehl Center Arena was constructed in 1997, with the SAC being added on to the main building in 2000.

Terence Donaghoe Hall is the main hall for theatre productions at the college. The drama department generally produces four mainstage productions each year (two per semester). It is a proscenium stage design with a main floor and balcony seating. The theater has a capacity of approximately 600 people. Terence Donaghoe Hall is the third "original" building to have survived to present day.