The Dunedin City Tertiary Accommodation Trust established what was City College in the year 2000 to provide accommodation for students from the
University of Otago,
Otago Polytechnic and the Dunedin College of Education (now
University of Otago College of Education). The college was built to resemble a traditional English-style residential college with gardens, courtyards, arched entryways and covered walkways. The residential apartments surround the central common areas of the complex. These common areas include student lounges, dining room, art/music room, study areas and a library. The college has extensive garden and courtyard spaces. It is the only fully-catered Otago college based around apartment groups, having 214 rooms spread around 38 four-, five- and six-bedroom apartments. Since the start of 2018 the college has been a residential collegiate community for only first-year students of the University of Otago. In late 2020, Caroline Freeman College assumed oversight of Abbey College, an Otago-owned residential college for post-graduate students. The Abbey College site is located directly across Cumberland Street from Caroline Freeman College. The Abbey site was refurbished, repurposed and renamed Caroline Freeman College - East. The original Abbey College buildings were all renamed to reflect the flora and fauna of the site - Rātā, Kōwhai, Tūī and Kererū. CFC East provides accommodation for 85 residents bringing the total resident population to 299. CFC East has a variety of room types including two and three-bedroom "pods", single en-suite and shared en-suite rooms. Extensive common space, lounge and dining areas and outdoor areas are all part of the East campus. ==Present day==