In this qualitative, multiple-case study, we explored 30 students' experiences across three social justice living-learning communities (LLC) to understand their conception of social justice and LLC involvement. Moreover, we examined the community elements that advanced these outcomes. Despite similar goals across communities, students demonstrated variation in their understanding of and commitment to involvement in social justice initiatives. We advance a typology describing patterns of involvement and social justice understanding in which we categorize students into four quadrants, including "informed activist," "informed bystander," "uninformed volunteer," and "uninformed bystander." Further, we describe contextual elements that influenced these patterns, discussing implications for practice.