student residence vs dormitory

student residence and dormitory both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
student residence	Yes	No	No	No
dormitory	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, student residence and dormitory are synonyms defined as:

student residence and dormitory: a college or university building containing living quarters for students

Other synonyms of student residence include dorm, hall, residence hall.

student residence (noun)	dormitory (noun)
a college or university building containing living quarters for students	a college or university building containing living quarters for students
	a large sleeping room containing several beds