Incoming college students spend ages excitedly awaiting their new university life, but choosing between dorming and commuting can be a difficult decision. In a time when a new chapter is opening and tensions are high, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the options.
A-dorm-ing living on campus
Choosing which posters perfectly encapsulate their personality, picking out the cutest throw pillows to match brand new bedding and expressing enthusiasm to meet a new roommate — all of these are part of the quintessential college experience: dorming. Students should dorm because it immerses students in college life, saves on transportation costs and gives students time to prepare for the real world.
By living on campus, residents are more easily “in the know” about what’s taking place at their college. Whether it’s a new party or news on campus, living in a college dorm gives students proximity to happenings on campus that wouldn’t be possible while living at home. While some students may have to experience some of the unpleasantries that come with dorming, they get a sense of community along with it. This feeling of being a part of something special is a once-in-a-lifetime experience unique to on-campus residents. Commuters may experience FOMO that only a charmingly small room between two or more people can fix.
Dorming makes students want to continue their education. On average, students living on campus have a higher retention rate, according to the University of Connecticut. Thus, if future college students are on the fence about dorming, even just trying it out for a year or a semester could set them up with educational success that they might not have gotten had they chosen commuting.
When living on campus, students don’t need to pay for transportation to drive themselves to class. In 2021, average gas prices in Washington were $3.32, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. As of April 2026, they’re $5.34 — a 37.8% increase in just 5 years. Since paying for college can already be expensive, adding a weekly payment like this to students’ budgets would be even more detrimental. Figuring out bus schedules is tedious, and missing the bus could throw students’ entire day off as they are forced to wait or find alternative transportation options. Dorming takes away that pain and frustration and allows a quick walk to classes, as most dorms are within walking distance of college classrooms.
Dorming provides real-life experiences that prepares students for life after college. It takes them through the transition from high schooler to college student to true adult. Additionally, having a roommate teaches students how to coexist with a non-family member, which prepares them for life after school. Although rooming with a stranger may seem like a downside, the fact that they’re someone who’s brand new to them is what makes that experience truly valuable. Through this, students learn the value of compromising and drawing boundaries.
While commuting has the benefit of flexibility, it lacks the serious character growth that comes with dorming. Keep these benefits in mind when weighing the choice between commuting and dorming. Even if attending an in-state college, consider dorming just for a year to try it out. Freshman year is the perfect time to make this choice; it integrates new students into college life and gives them the ability to make connections. Even if students decide dorming isn’t for them, they have the opportunities and connections they made in freshman year to ease some of the cons of commuting — especially loneliness.
Comfort and cost make commuting convenient
It’s a classic picture: on move-in day, excitement buzzes in the air as new students hug their parents goodbye, greet their roommates and step into life as independent college students. This image is all too common, and, unfortunately, all too idealized. Dorm life is frequently extolled as the only way to have the true college experience, but that is not the case. For local students, commuting is often not only more affordable, but it is also less stressful and more comfortable overall.
The option to commute to college is often overlooked. This is in part due to a number of misconceptions, one of which being that commuters have less opportunities to engage with the community. However, many campuses have specific resources to aid commuting students, such as Seattle University’s commuter showers and the University of Washington’s Commuter & Transfer Commons, which includes lockers, a kitchenette and a collection of games to help students relax and decompress.
Commuting is most obviously advantageous because it avoids the costs of housing. Buying some variety of a meal plan is frequently required for on-campus freshmen, but students living at home wouldn’t need one at all. Because they will eat at home for breakfast and dinner and can pack or buy their lunches and snacks, they’ll have more flexibility to save money on food. This is incredibly impactful, since students spent an average of $6,205 on meal plans during the 2025-26 academic year, according to Education Data Initiative. This amounted to almost half the total cost of room and board, with the cost of dorm rooms averaging about $8,196.
Furthermore, commuting has many appeals over dorming in terms of comfort. Living at home avoids needing to live with a roommate, which could be unpleasant for people who prefer their own space. It also prevents the stress of close-quarters conflict. Additionally, commuting can allow students to remain near their family and pets, along with the rest of the support system that got them through high school. Living off campus has the added benefit of minimizing distractions and allowing students to separate their home and school lives more effectively.
One might argue that living off-campus is detrimental, as not being constantly around their peers robs students of social interaction and connection. However, some students will benefit from the ability to go home every day and take a break from their social circles, as it decreases friction and affords those students more alone time. There are plenty of opportunities for commuting students to make connections. Not only do many colleges provide common spaces for students, but almost every school also has a wide variety of clubs and activities for students to take part in. This even increases the chances of students to find people that they click with, as the people they interact with aren’t determined by proximity and random chance, but instead by shared interests and hobbies.
While living in dorms is an appealing image, commuting to school is less expensive on several counts and can be significantly more comfortable. It works well to ease students’ transition from high school to college, thereby removing stress in a tense time of life. Regardless of preconceptions, for local students, commuting is more than worth it.
