When you’re trying to decide where you should go to college, there are so many things you need to consider before finally attending your orientation class.
The idea for students entering college in the traditional way is to pick a school that’s going to give you the best training for the degree you want to pursue. This helps people narrow down their choices or even outright pick the only option they have.
That’s not always how it works, though, because not everyone follows the traditional academic plan. Even if they do, they might not know what they want to study yet.
Money is another major factor in where people decide to go because colleges are so expensive. Tuition and student fees add up quickly, and then there’s housing and meal plans to consider.
Many students choose to live off-campus so they can skip the meal plans and maybe find someplace with cheaper rent.
Read on to get a better idea of what cities could make this plan work, and which might charge you more to live on your own rather than stay on campus. As college will teach you, the more research you do, the better prepared you’ll be for your future.
1. Danbury, Connecticut (Metro Area)
Anyone looking to go to a major school like Western Connecticut State University might want to live off-campus because of the nice residential area around it. There are lots of families in the area, but it’s also slightly above the average cost of living.
Be prepared for higher than average income and sale taxes if you move there. The good news is that it has a low unemployment rate, so getting a job or two shouldn’t be difficult.
2. Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Metro Area)
The Chapel Hill area is known for its vibrant greenery and sky blue accents, since it’s home to the renowned Tar Heels basketball team.
While the university itself is expensive because of its rigorous academic standards and top-notch staff, the area costs four percent less than the national average to live in. Just watch where you look for an apartment, since a one bedroom could easily cost you up to $1,600 each month.
3. San Francisco, Calfornia (Bay Area)
The Bay Area has plenty of places you can go to for a higher education, from Stanford to an array of seminaries. Is the area a solid financial choice for students to live in?
It may be worth staying on-campus, because even the smartest programmers at the top tech companies have to live elsewhere to be able to afford to live, given that the cost of living is 60 percent higher than average. Check with whatever schools you’re interested in to see if you could swing the on-campus fees.
4. Cambridge, Massachusetts (Metro Area)
People flock to Cambridge to both visit and attend two of the best schools in the world — MIT and Harvard University.
If you’re planning on living there for your education, you’ll most likely have to work a couple of jobs to be able to afford it if your cost of living isn’t covered by a scholarship. It costs 75 percent more to live in Cambridge than the national average, so be prepared to pay more for even the little things like groceries.
5. Boulder, Colorado (Metro Area)
Students love to attend school in Boulder because of its gorgeous landscape and the University of Colorado.
Jobs are widely available through the university and the growing businesses in the area, but students should be aware that the average rent is $1,668 and may not include things like utilities and parking. Biking is a local favorite for getting around, but it won’t be so nice when it’s snowing or raining.
6. Princeton, New Jersey (Citywide Area)
Princeton University is one of the most competitive in the world, and it continually ranks at the top of the best colleges in the U.S. It pulls more and more students in each year, but the area is still a challenging place to live if you don’t have a large cash flow coming in.
The average income in the Princeton area is $116,875, so be prepared to pay some expensive bills if you plan to live there for your college years.
When you’re trying to figure out where you’re going to go to college, there are so many factors to consider that you might feel overwhelmed. During your selection process, don’t forget to look at the cost of living in the area around your potential school.
Things like sales tax and average rent prices can completely change your college experience, so make the best choice for you by weighing your favorite universities against how much people pay to live around them.