Are we entering an era of students mainly picking a local uni and commuting?

[mids2019]

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/sep/13/rise-of-student-commuters-costs-living-at-home-or-in-halls

With the expense of student loans and general cost of living pressures coupled with exponentially increasing IT impact are we now going into be in a position of students maybe by default choosing a local university.

My concern would be maybe more academic kids from poorer backgrounds maybe going for a local option rather than going for maybe a better HEI which is more distant. Obviously Oxbridge may offer cheap accommodation but the students going there are from predominantly middle class backgrounds with parents I would hazard a guess maybe would be able to support their children anyway.. I think the problem will be with other Russell group institutions including London unis, Durham, Bristol, Edinburgh etx. where there may be some distance to travel.

Is this commuting student model really a good thing?

I’m don’t think employers request where you lived during uni on applications or even bother looking at proximity. How do they know students weren’t in halls? Some employers prefer home grown and have links to local unis, others further afield will not be bothering to check and frankly won’t give a stuff anyway as it’s qualifications and what you bring to a job they’re interested in. Those not signing up for double debt show being financially savvy and it’s something we’re likely to see more and more of.

It’s also not unusual for students to go to unis in regions they live in. My DD’s friend from her college living at home is commuting 45 mins to uni which is not much less than many moving out of home.

Research from the Sutton Trust shows that nearly 56% of young students stay local, choosing institutions within a ~55-mile radius

As I said, assumptions may be made. University location. School location. Home location.

Assumptions are not always correct.

😂That’s ridiculous! What assumptions?So you’re saying the 56% of students who are attending unis within a 55 mile radius from home are at a disadvantage. That students that travel over that to uni have an advantage regardless of uni, qualifications and what else is on their CVs. So those going to uni 4 hours away from home are going to have an advantage in applications whatever. That is frankly nuts.

I'd have thought employers would be less bothered by hall living and more about participation in groups/societies or getting internships or experience - showing a wider experience.

I perosnally do think it's a good thing to leave home and get that experience just not sure employers are focused on it.

A high proportion of London students live at home during university. I doubt very much they're disadvantaged by that when it comes to job applications.

We all live in London. Unless our DC get into Oxbridge they'll get one year in halls and all the other years they'll live at home.

My eldest did LSE and the year in halls was great. When he moved out for his non London masters he hated it and wished to be back home.

Moving out from home can happen at any time though , it doesn’t have to be at 18.

Exactly! With all those great options on your doorstep and all the advantages being in London brings, why would you?

I think what PP is saying is, as an example, GCSEs from a Liverpool school + A-Levels from a Liverpool college + a degree from Liverpool Uni might equal an assumption that the student lived at home during the degree.

Why would they care?🤷‍♀️

I didn't say you had to leave home at 18 - why are you trying to put words in my mouth?

I'm am saying in my family those of us who did go away for uni feel we got a lot by doing so one family member who stayed close at home though live with her boyfirend during degree now thinks she didn't make the most of those years - she also never lived outside area we grew up in.

DD1 went away for uni come back older wiser and much happier - and now want to commute for masters. I do think it gives lifeskills and frankly is a soft start to adult life - but if it's certainly not only way.

But I do not agree employers will be focused on it.

One of DD1 friends went 45 miles away - top uni in her fields she assumed she'd live at home second or third year but in end didn't she worked p/t in uni town and was active in several societies and foudn relative internship post - why anyone would look at her CV and assume staying within 45 miles of home address would mean she was a poorer candiate who wasn't an active particpant in uni life is beyond me.

How depressingly sad. Students staying at home get only a fraction of the full university experience - learning to live independently and get along with lots of different people who grew up in different circumstances to you is arguably the biggest education a university can give you. Not to mention that, certainly within England, universities are nowhere near an even field in terms of academic rigour (not only to the disadvantage of highly academic students living far from a RG type uni, but equally those who do live close but do not have the academics to attend), students will be in a geographic lottery.

I recruit recent graduates and honestly wouldn’t give them living at home v away at uni a thought. You can’t tell. A uni an hour away some may commute, some may live at the uni.
Even if live at home they may have done semester or year abroad.
There’s pros to living at home in terms of being able to maintain employment and volunteering.
One recent graduate joining us had 5 years customer facing experience which gave her great examples for interview. Having been employed by a household name company for 5 years I suspected she would be reliable etc and indeed she was. Her employment history stood out in a good way. Much more so than ten a penny I was chair of ball committee/frisbee society etc.

Exactly!

Wait did someone say employees look at it badly if you live at home?

I remember someone a few years ago on MN saying having a 1st looked bad and recruiters preferred people with 2.1s

But you’re still learning to get along with lots of different people who grew up in different circumstances to you- studying together, group projects and socialising are the same. Increasingly students are having to live in private accomodation alone and not in halls anyway. 56% are already going to uni within a 55 mile radius. Many will have access to a good uni from home within that radius. Many disadvantaged areas do too although I do think support with travel costs for those financially disadvantaged is important .

What a load of utter tripe

Perhaps read what I have actually written.

You said “It will be a draw for many employers and those who have studied at home will have the luxury of being able to decide if they want to use it as an advantage or not as no employer will ever know”.

I said that they may assume based on the proximity of the university, the graduate’s home address and where they went to school. All that information will be readily available on the CV and application form.

Nothing about advantages or disadvantages. You added that yourself.

Isn’t it just.

@Poppinpoppinpopcorn What a ridiculous response. I guess you never recruit anyone. Many employers do like someone who has demonstrated they have managed their lives beyond study. Staying at home clearly doesn’t do this. So you think a bottom 20 uni is ok when a student could aim for top 20 and get in? It’s clearly dumbing down, and certainly doesn’t aid social mobility. It’s a reason why dc don’t apply for Oxbridge. Is this what we want for bright dc? Just pop down the road because it’s there? Dont bother with anywhere better or a uni that might be a passport to a top earning career? Yes, let’s not bother with that when mum can do your washing. It beggars belief we think that’s ok!

I wasn’t making that argument; merely pointing out how people reading CVs can see where people have been educated. Take your grievances up with the PP.

We’re a couple years away from this but my DC will have to commute, we won’t be able to afford to send them further afield. Luckily we are in London so it’s doable.

You clearly haven't dealt with young people starting university who carnt afford to leave home but still need a degree, or a young person who cares for someone within the home. For these people they are definitely managing to manage life beyond study as you out it 🙄 .more than anyone whose parents pay for the accomodation , food etc, bank of mum and dad. People who come from these situations do get job offers, young carers even more so because they really are more resilient than lots of young people. Lots of young people live at home longer, young people who do apprenticeships, go straight into work. It's not a stumbling block for them when it comes to someone employing them and it's the same for someone who attended university .