Not living at your university can save money, but there are many other factors to consider. Photograph: urbazon/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Not living at your university can save money, but there are many other factors to consider. Photograph: urbazon/Getty Images University Guide 2027 Education Rise of the student commuters: weighing the costs of living at home or in halls Changing social trends and creative timetables are making it more likely for students to stay at home while they study. Is campus life on the way out?
Prefer the Guardian on Google F or Lucy Brazier, a second-year business management student, commuting to university was an easy decision. She lives near Colchester, where the University of Essex is based. “[It] was the obvious choice for my course once I weighed up the costs,” she says.
And with overnight accommodation available on campus, she feels she gets the best of both worlds. “I can book a room at less than a day’s notice for £35 so I don’t have to drive home. I’ve used it after nights out, and the evening before exams so I don’t have the stress of driving in the morning. It’s been really helpful.”
Brazier is far from alone. More students are choosing to live at home while studying, and universities are increasingly adapting their courses and campuses to make commuting easier.
According to Ucas, 612,690 UK students aged 18 to 20 who applied before 14 January 2026 made at least one application stating that they intended to live at home – up 8% from last year’s figure of 569,880.
With commuter students now a significant presence on campus, Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern says the traditional model of student life is changing. “Universities are evolving to meet the needs of learners. Many offer flexible ways to access learning and resources, or adjust students’ timetables to suit those with longer commutes or other responsibilities.”
Amira Campbell, former president of the National Union of Students , says the trend has been building for more than a decade. In some cases, this is because students simply cannot afford the residential university experience any more. Many are students from non-traditional backgrounds accessing higher education for the first time, who prefer to stay close to home.
Universities have responded in practical ways. Manuel Souto-Otero, from the School of Education at the University of Bristol, says many institutions now timetable teaching on fewer days so students are not travelling in for a single lecture or seminar, while also reducing long gaps between classes. Extracurricular activities are increasingly scheduled in the afternoon rather than the evening and many administrative services have also moved online, reducing the need for students to make unnecessary trips to campus.
“Universities have improved transport to campus and parking options,” he adds. “They have changed campus spaces, in some cases opening new facilities close to bus and train stations where possible, and creating university buildings where students can work, socialise or rest between lectures.”
The University of Essex, for example, has introduced day rooms where commuter students can rest, store belongings and prepare hot food and drinks, as well as an off-peak gym membership designed around commuter travel patterns. At the University of Leeds, the commuter society organises events that finish before 8pm so students can still get home easily.
Changes like these also benefit students…