Abstract College buildings, especially college dormitories, have a high density of energy consumption. It is important to obtain the energy consumption characteristics and impact factors of college dormitories before implementing energy efficiency measures. However, few studies based on experimental data have been reported. This study attempts to analyze the energy consumption characteristics of college dormitories and determine the influential factors based on monitored data. Annual daily energy consumption data of 480 college dormitories with different orientations and floors were collected. The energy consumption characteristics and the impact of factors including the floor, orientation, and occupant’s gender are investigated and quantified through the statistical methods and covariance analysis. The results show that the energy consumption varies significantly between different dormitories, and the floor location is the most influential factor. The annual energy consumption of the dormitories on the top floor is 1015% higher compared with those on the other floors due to higher cooling or heating load resulting from the roof. Then, two floor-oriented electricity pricing strategies are recommended to balance the different energy bills caused by different located floors of rooms. The electricity tariffs for rooms on the middle/top floors should be increased/decreased by 3.5%/10.3% in the proposed floor-based electricity tariff. This study would provide a basis for energy efficiency improvement and tariff optimization for college dormitories.