A few questions about American universities?
Posted by Nice-Contest1499@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 330 comments
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How common is it to go to a universtiy within a commuting distance from your hometown and how common is it to live with your parents while attending a university?
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What % of students live in an apartment/house they rent out vs a dorm?
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Why are American universities mostly concentrated on one location/campus unlike European ones where they are spread all over the city?
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Why do American universities have their own police forces?
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Why are college towns a thing instead of just having universities in big cities?
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What is a community college?
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College vs university?
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How common is it to go to college later ie. start at 20 or 22 or even later?
Atlas7-k@reddit
1) if it’s a community college or so called commuter school, very for both. Less so to the point of being unusual for schools that aren’t.
2) more common as you move up. Many schools require on campus housing for first year students and some for 2nd years.
3) because the schools were often started in more rural areas because land was cheaper and it just makes sense to have a unitary campus at that point.
4) They kinda of don’t. Campuses are large populations in a smaller defined area. That population density would justify a dedicated police presence anyway. So often “campus cops” are a subset of the local police force. They more than likely have slightly different training priorities, more drunk and disorderly to large crowd control and less homicide and violent crime.
5) see land cost from #3. There may have also been an attempt to create a self contained system as part of the thinking back then.
6) hyper local schools that often are county specific, focusing on lower income, non-traditional (older), and job training. They are, imo, based off the college preparatory schools of the early 20th century.
7) More or less interchangeable at this point. It used to be that Universities granted Masters and Ph.Ds. Colleges didn’t. Colleges can also be a unit within a University that is a focus of study. College of Art and Sciences at X University, College of Graduate Studies at Y. Example there used to be a Women’s College attached to all Ivy League Universities. With everything being co-Ed, some of them are still separate (Dartmouth and Mt. Holyoke) while others were absorbed (Radcliffe is now an institution of advanced study focusing on inter-disciplinary research at Harvard.)
8) That’s really variable and tied mostly to economic status. Community colleges often have more non-traditional students. Folks on the GI Bill, military veterans get money for college, are common on many campuses. People who didn’t succeed their first try at college are not unusual.
I have been told that gap years for travel are more common for folks who can afford it. But gap years to work and built a financial cushion and beef up applications are not unheard of either.
Thereelgerg@reddit
Many of them absolutely do.
Atlas7-k@reddit
Did you read past the first 4 words? Do you have some information that may expand on, clarify, or contradict what I said? Or are you just being a low effort contrarian?
Thereelgerg@reddit
Yes
Yes. Often time campuses have their own police agencies that aren't just a part of a different city agency.
WritPositWrit@reddit
Not super common but not unheard of
Almost all freshman live in dorms, most seniors live off campus. Interpolate.
That varies with university. Some sprawl, some do not.
They do??
Both things exist. There are lots of universities in big cities like NYC, Boston, Baltimore, DC, etc, but they obviously do not dominate the city so it’s not a “college town.”
A two year commuter college run by the state or county.
Yes, both exist. Universities are bigger, in general.
Not common but not unheard of.
Thereelgerg@reddit
Campus police absolutely are police. Police officers and security guards aren't the same thing.
WritPositWrit@reddit
I guess its different at different schools then. Ive never encountered actual police.
Teahouse_Fox@reddit
I first went to City U in NYC. There, it was almost certain that you lived at home, and commuted daily to classes. Campus for my college was two buildings in short walking distance of each other (one or two short blocks). I hear they may have added two more now. Now, theres online courses for military personnel, or working adults. How much you get out of those very much depends on the effort you put into them.
I felt for a while like I'd missed out on "the college experience", but I didnt miss the huge debt that most students accrued doing that. I finished with a four year degree, and no debt. I didnt require graduate degree work, but I now work for a company that would pay the full ride if I decided I wanted to. I did go back for a different four year undergrad degree, and they paid for that.
Its a trade off, the college social aspect for a debt free post grad living experience.
Historical_Term2454@reddit
Pretty common especially if money is tight.
Depends on the school. Some higher-end schools require students to live in the dorms, at least for the first year or two.
Some are spread pretty wide across (UW-Madison, UMich, Rutgers, more).
For campus safety and federal requirements. If your book gets stolen from an starbucks off-campus, the police won’t even show up. If it gets stolen on a college campus, multiple Clery Act forms need to be filed. Airports and hospitals also sometimes have their own police forces here.
There are universities in big cities and small towns all across the world. Oxford, Cambridge, Padua are small cities dominated by their universities.
A two-year school focused on a lower-tier degree.
Complicated. Google it.
Depends on the school. Most start at 18.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Why would colleges require studnets to live on campus?
Western_Nebula9624@reddit
They usually only require students who don't already live near campus (with their families) to live on campus. I believe that they claim it builds community, increases retention rates and raises scores. I think there's also a liability component - the school has more control over health and safety in dorms than in un-related off-campus housing.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
But how common is it to live near campus with your family instead of going to another city and if you live near enoguh to commute (lets say 50 miles) how common is it to choose a dorm/apartment rent anyways?
TiFist@reddit
50 miles (80 km) is an unrealistic commute.
Major Universities in cities tend to be in city centers and the area around them tends to be both extremely expensive housing (city center) and housing focused on students (families don't want to live there.)
I have experience with a mid-level university (prestigious for certain studies) in a city center of a top 10 US city by population. It was not primarily focused on students living there as it was constructed after WWII and was commuter-friendly.
The running joke is that it was just another high school. The fact that a high % of students commuted is a significant hit to its reputation. (But for one specific course of study they're the best in the nation.)
ForestOranges@reddit
I went to college in a small town in a rural area and I think 35 miles was our standard but they’d accept up to 50. In the urbanized parts of the state I’m sure it’s much lower.
TheCloudForest@reddit
So you went to UIC, too.
TiFist@reddit
Think "within the next 1-2 cities by population after Chicago depending on how you measure the metro size" but you are 100% spot on by concept.
My father was a professor/department chair there. I only attended one class officially doing the 'summer school' thing but am very familiar with the campus.
Prior-Soil@reddit
I live in a small city with a large public university. Even if you go to the university here, most people expect you to move into an apartment or dorm and not live at home if they can afford it. It is seen as the first step of becoming an adult. Leaving home for college.
A couple of my friends were actually angry that their children chose to stay in town. They didn't think they were making enough changes and would just stick with their same friends and not have growth.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Who can afford to litteraly burn money like that?
TheCloudForest@reddit
The American professional classes, as well as many small business owners, are fabulously wealthy by global standards, even among peer countries like Australia or Germany.
If you happen to grow up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and you get into the University of Michigan (one of the five or so top public universities in the country), if your parents are doctors or engineers or accountants or restaurant owners or whatever, they will likely happily pay for you to fully integrate into student life by living in a UMich dorm. It could even be the financially smart thing to do long term, as you build a social, academic, and professional network.
Apocalyptic0n3@reddit
50 miles is not near enough to commute. That's a 60-90 minute drive.
There's also a cultural aspect here: Americans value independence far more than most other countries. At 18 years old, most Americans are itching to move out and start their adult life. Most don't want to live with their parents and moving into a dorm is often the easiest path to start their independent adult life.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Could be the culuture then. Here even if you go to college to another city you reutrn to your parents after it and most don't move out until early 30s. It's just impossible due to costs of rent or mortages.
Apocalyptic0n3@reddit
That's not uncommon here, but teenagers generally expect to leave their parents home by like 22-23 at the latest and often do leave at 18.
Western_Nebula9624@reddit
It really depends on the University. At the university my son attends, the vast majority of freshmen live on campus. There are not enough dorms for every student so most move into off-campus housing in their second year. It's a huge school (over 30,000 students) in a not-so-big city (130,000 or so people, I believe including all the students, and it's not the only university in that city) so it's pretty obvious that only a small percentage would be local. Community colleges tend to be mostly local students. Choosing a local school to save money is definitely an option, but it's not a guarantee that a local university will offer the program of study that you want, will admit you or will end up being more affordable (either from tuition costs or grant/scholarship money), and not everyone will have a four-year school within a reasonable distance.
My son attends a university a 4 1/2 hour drive away from home. We do have a local university with a mechanical engineering program (his major) but it does not have a marching band (which was super important to him). Tuition is also much higher at the local university and he got a good scholarship from the more distant school.
Ok-Dirt9720@reddit
There are a lot of schools far away from where a student may live that they may want to attend. It's not practical for a family to all move together so that students can live at home. Remember the US is very, very, large.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
Very common, especially the first couple years.
But the university that specializes in what you want to study might be a thousand miles away.
You live in what is, by comparison, a very tiny country. I do not think you grasp the distances we are talking here.
alaskawolfjoe@reddit
I do not know if this is the reason, but students who live with family have a much tougher time focusing on their studies.
TillPsychological351@reddit
I call BS on that too.
I went to an away university, but I took summer classes near my parents house so that I could graduate early.
There was always multiple distractions when I was living away, and I actually found it hard sometimes to isolate myself to get the hard studying done, much less get enough sleep so that I could properly absorb the material.
I had none of those distractions during my summer classes. The difference in my performance during the summer classes ended up pushing me into magna cum laude range.
ForestOranges@reddit
It depends on your family. I taught both middle and high school during COVID and it was extremely frustrating. I’d be in the middle of class and a parent would just go demand that their child was the dishes or take the dog out, distractions we didn’t have when the kid was on campus.
alaskawolfjoe@reddit
Having household responsibilities, taking grandma to the doctor, caring for younger siblings, etc take up a lot of time for most students.
Commonly parents think they can load the same level of responsibilities on their college student child that they did when they were in high school.
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
That was exactly what happened with me the year I had to commute to school, and I still had to deal with my mom's being in my business all the time.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Yeah I call bullshit on that. Having your own room is much easier to study than sharing a small room with 2 people.
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
I call bullshit on your calling bullshit.
For my second year in college, I could not get into the dorms due to overcrowding and had to commute from home. Just like from before I went to college, my mom was all up my ass over every little aspect of my life, and I was also back to doing household chores and projects.
It also made it much more inconvenient to get together with fellow students on campus to study or do required team projects.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
A LOT of people in Croatia leave for other cities because of this too, they want to move out of their parents' home though I do not have that problem myself. This is a very personally dependent point.
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
It is indeed, but in saying "A LOT of people in Croatia leave for other cities because of this too," you admit it's a problem for many.
So, do you still "call bullshit" on this?
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Which is why I said a dorm should be a choice plus we are talking about living in another city for studies here so you are away from your parents anyways.
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
We are? Since when? This sub-thread started with "students who live with family have a much tougher time focusing on their studies," which means in the same locality.
TiFist@reddit
Don't presume that dormitories have rooms that are shared with 2 people per room. That's becoming less common.
Additionally it puts you in close proximity 24/7 with people who share the same studies as you do and puts you in closer proximity to resources you can use outside of class.
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
The way the OP phrased it (sharing with 2 people) means 3 people per room.
alaskawolfjoe@reddit
But the word "room" is misleading. You may be in a suite with one or two other people and share a kitchen and living area. But you always have your own room.
If students did not have their own rooms, there would be a revolt by students and their parents!
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
Good points!
I think we know the differences, but OP likely doesn't. Three in a suite is not the same as three in one room (which I've never seen).
TiFist@reddit
Yeah, all the new construction (last \~20-25 years) Dorms I've been in have had 'quads'-- basically 4 tiny bedrooms sharing 2 bathrooms/tiny kitchen. Some also had a tiny living room for socialization. Only the older dorms had the traditional 2 beds/room layout and *even then* the "large bathroom down the hall" model had fallen out of favor by about \~40-50 years ago. Those typically had (for example) 2 rooms with 2 people each, and they shared a single bathroom.
You can usually just pay more for a single room. It was getting common enough to request that, that universities started tearing down old housing to accommodate more of the newer design.
Not all schools can have this. Some have much older/more historical dorms, but if it's a newer construction, I would not assume shared rooms is the default.
GreenLost5304@reddit
People who live in dorms don’t study in their rooms.
Part of the thing that’s (sort of) good about dorms is that since you’re likely never entirely alone, you’re more likely to go out to a library or other study space to try and study in quiet.
You’re also open to more distractions in your own house - maybe you have a gaming console, or live with a sibling who loves to distract you, or any other number of things.
Those distractions don’t exist to the same degree in a dorm. Your roommate is also in college, and so they are able to give you the dignity and respect needed to study if you ask, and you definitely won’t have any distracting family members.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
But it's a college you are an adult why not just let you be responsible for yourself like if you need the pressure of a dorm to study I don't think you'll do well in college.
GreenLost5304@reddit
College is the first time most people have their own agency to do whatever they want.
If you give college aged adults free range to do whatever they want, I don’t think it’ll end with the results you would expect.
Yes, they are legally adults, they are also new to being adults. Being an adult is not easy, so the university tries to find ways to support that transition by influencing towards the best decisions, while still giving them the freedom to technically do whatever they want.
You seem really hung up on the idea of them being adults, while - whether intentionally or not - not actually recognizing that most of them are “adults” for the first times in their lives, and that legally being an adult is not the same as having the mental capacity to actually act as one.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I am litterally 19 so I do recognize how it feels very well.
alaskawolfjoe@reddit
This is the reason why students often prefer on campus dorms where they have their own room, rather than apartments near campus where they might have to share a room to cover the cost. (Or living at home where they might be sharing with siblings).
alaskawolfjoe@reddit
If you share a suite, you can always go to your own bedroom. Most people study in their own room anyway so that they do not have people around.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
And yet all evidence is to the contrary.
Pale-Fee-2679@reddit
Probably because students living at home are generally poorer with all the difficulties and distractions poverty entails. They are also more likely to work.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
K. And?
Prior-Soil@reddit
Most people that can't afford to live on campus probably share their room or have a large family at home. Many people don't actually expect to study in their dorm room. They go to the library or another third space.
sysnickm@reddit
You've not seen modern US dorms. They are more like apartments with private bedrooms for each person.
you_know_who_7199@reddit
I was a commuting student (30 years ago, but still).
Anyway, I think being away from campus allowed me to focus on studying more, if anything.
i_be_illin@reddit
Because first year students are still teenagers. If they are on campus, they can roll out of bed and make it to their first class in 10 minutes. It removes an excuse to skip class. Kids are more successful if they go to class.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
They are adults, I have no idea why US infantilizes 18-21 year olds.
_iusuallydont_@reddit
It’s so funny to hear this because we, deservedly imo, always get criticized as a whole (because there are so many cultures in America there is no hard and fast rule) for kicking kids out at 18. It’s much more common in other countries for kids to live at home until they’re married whereas American kids are generally out of the house right after high school. Interesting to hear the opposite complaint.
ForestOranges@reddit
Late Gen X and the first millennials born in the early 80s were the last generation where kicking your kids out at 18 was normal. Your kid going off to college isn’t “kicking them out at 18,” it’s usually more of a transition phase that the kid was excited for too.
ilPrezidente@reddit
It’s their first time living on their own. Even if they are adults in the legal sense, they’ve suddenly happened upon a bunch of freedom, so it provides some guard rails to help out before renting their own apartment/house usually a year later.
Calling dorm living “infantilization” is dramatic
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I guess I can see how that can make sense though I still don't like that it is litteraly FORCED.
It's really not dramatic if your argument is "they are only 18/19 so they need a controlled environment of a dorm to live in"
PlatinumPOS@reddit
The infantilization argument is just a difference in culture. In the US, it’s often seen as infantilizing for someone to still live with their parents past 18, and yet this is common or even expected in many other countries & cultures.
Forcing young adults into dorms helps them become comfortable with independence in a country where they are likely to go on to live and work in other states far away from their family & personal connections. Many already attend school in another state where they are not from, and this is often seen as a positive aspect of College / University. Learning to build new connections is a big part of higher ed here. So from an American perspective, it’s the opposite of infantilization.
ForestOranges@reddit
I agree with the spirit of everything you said but statistically it’s not true. Only about 25% of students go to a college out of state. About 50% of all Americans live within 50 miles of their hometown. If we’re counting adults only up to 26, then 80% live within a 100 miles of their hometown.
I went to college about 150 miles away and there were a lot of other students who were probably about 100-200 miles away from home, but a lot of students also only lived in the next county over. It was pretty common to meet people whose hometown was only 30-60 minutes away. I assume at universities in big cities it’s different but statistically speaking we aren’t as mobile as we like to believe. Most adults in the US live within 18 miles of their mother and nearly 75% of people live within 30 miles of a parent or adult child.
TiFist@reddit
Children in the US are not expected to commute on their own. Often there's no usable public transit, often there's insufficient safety if there is public transit. School pick up children in those special school buses you see on American TV shows (or they walk or ride bikes if it's nearby and a safe area.)
Otherwise until later in high school, students are often driven around by their parents or other trusted adults as the scope of US cities means walking is not practical for most.
Children in Europe get on the bus or tram by themselves and go all over. This is *not* typical in the US. Often the first taste of freedom is tied to being able to drive a car.
You're dealing with some people who truly have not been independent until this point, or shortly before this point.
I went to university, \~250km away from my home at age 17. I didn't need a great deal of help to live independently, but that was not the case for everyone.
zuckerkorn96@reddit
I grew up in a city in the US me and most of my friends walked to elementary school and then took the train to high school
ForestOranges@reddit
Only in cities. I grew up 6 miles outside of a city and it was yellow school busses everywhere. Kids inside city limits had their own school district and basically they tell you to walk if you’re within 2 miles. If you’re more than 2 miles away from school the city bus is free (they used to charge students $1 but there was an issue with poor families not being able to afford $2/day round trip for transportation).
TiFist@reddit
Yep and outside of the major cities in the NE corridor, this is basically not a thing.
Virtually everywhere west of the Mississippi are pure car cities and transit is of very limited usefulness. In cities where transit is little used, it's not typically safe for children to use on their own (obviously safer in places like NYC/DC/Chicago, etc. where it's not seen as a huge social stigma.)
zuckerkorn96@reddit
It’s very true, I’m from DC and my girlfriend is from Dallas. She thought it was insane that I would take the metro by myself when I was in middle school.
ilPrezidente@reddit
OP I’m going to respectfully assume that you’re around the age, which is why it seems you’re taking this so personally based on your language (it’s a complete non-issue to almost everyone over here). I’ll say that I had similar sentiments when I was that age but in retrospect an 18/19 year old is not the same adult as a 25 year old. It’s not infantilization… it’s an institution of education and learning how to live on their own is part of the education experience. They’ve been doing this for centuries and have a pretty good feel on how to keep 18/19 year olds engaged with their studies as best they can.
Additionally, they’re not “forced” and it’s pretty easy to circumvent the first year requirements in my experience.
ForestOranges@reddit
How “easy” it is to circumvent depends on the university. I went to a public university in the North and the only way of getting around it was applying to the university with an address within commuting distance or proving that you’re already married. I applied to a private school that didn’t allow you to move off campus till senior year and even then it was no guarantee they’d approve you to move off campus. Some schools are way less strict than others.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Yes I am of that age and I just think that if I don't want to share a bahtroom with 40 people I shouldn't be forced to.
ilPrezidente@reddit
Most dorms don’t have community bathrooms anymore.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I mean I guessed so, that change is happening here too but I guess a lot of unis still do.
ilPrezidente@reddit
Some do, some don’t. You’re getting a little fired up over a non-issue, especially if you’re not in the U.S. We’re not worried about it.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
While the specific issue may be US specific, infantalizing young adults it definitely not US specific.
I HATE that.
ilPrezidente@reddit
You seem to be projecting your own issues on the American college experience and that’s strange
Free-Sherbet2206@reddit
Then don’t go to that school
nykiek@reddit
Wait until you learn about Christian schoolsHandbook2022-23.2.pdf
zuckerkorn96@reddit
The collegiate environment is cooler and more fun when everyone buys in and lives there almost like summer camp. Everyone lives in the same big dorm buildings together, eat meals at the dining hall together, walk to class together. It fosters that “academic village” thing. We also have a big commuter colleges where most people live off campus in apartments and drive to class and stuff. Yes, you still get a degree. Generally tho, the camaraderie and alumni community of those places just isn’t the same.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Yeah I guess that makes sense, we don't really have that college culutre here as much as ya'll do and since there in no massive campuses there is also no extreme student bonding.
zuckerkorn96@reddit
Yeah I understand that a lot of it is overpriced and frivolous and whatever, but I had a typical college experience like that and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. My college was about 8,000 undergrad, everyone lived on campus freshman and sophomore year. Walking to class, living in dorms with your friends, everyone going to the same college bars on certain days of the week (Wednesday is dollar shot night at X, Thursday is $20 all you can drink beer at Y, etc.) Dining hall, big sports games in the student section, fraternity and sororities, small class sizes, liberal arts freshman core classes. Doing goofy school traditions like streaking on the quad or jumping in the fountain at night. Junior and senior year kids usually move into houses and apartments off campus with their friends. That part was great too. Some of my best lifelong friends are still the ones I lived with in the dorms freshman year. I still go back every few years for a football game or an alumni event. It’s great.
Hawk13424@reddit
Also note at most if your family lives in the same city you can live at home. It’s just those away from family that they will sometimes require live in dorms the first year.
CPA_Lady@reddit
The real reason is money. Empty dorm rooms don’t pay room and board.
TiFist@reddit
As you go up the chain, a high drop-out percentage is something that weighs into the rankings and reputations of universities as well. Degree prestige is important. Alternately if you're going to drop out they want you to drop out after 1-2 semesters and dorms are easy to rent back out again.
Concentrate_Previous@reddit
It's not "forced" in that it is mandated at a small percentage of universities. You can choose to go to another college if you don't wish to live in dorms the first year.
Sea-Bill78@reddit
Are you here to argue or get answers to your questions?
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I get EXTREMELY ticked off when anybody infantilizes me at 19. I don't know why but it just icks me the wrong way.
WritPositWrit@reddit
Nobody is infantilizing you here, except you.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
If a college told me "You are only 19 you must live in a dorm because you are too young to rent an apartment" I'd feel infantalized.
fiestybox246@reddit
You’re actually proving why some universities require freshmen to live on campus.
Strange-Employee-520@reddit
New game: drink every time OP says "infantalized"!
Just kidding, we'd all have alcohol poisoning.
AlannaTheLioness1983@reddit
Dude, it’s not about infantilizing (you’re really stuck on this word 👀) the students. The colleges that have mandatory dorm living also have campus cultures that are about bonding and togetherness. It’s meant to help you get to know the people you’ll be spending time with. They’re not being babysat by the school.
OneNerdyLesbian@reddit
I'm not sure why the idea of dorms makes it sound like American college students are being infantilized. If anything, I'd see that as more likely if they're still leaving at home with their parents, who might continue to treat them like teenagers.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Why not let them rent an apartment then? They live in an apartment of campus and commute to campus.
Concentrate_Previous@reddit
Required living in dorms the first year is at a small percentage of schools. People can choose to go to another school if they don't wish to live in dorms. It's hardly "infantalizing" if it is the choice one made.
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
Yep. And dorm life was actually ideal for my first two years in college.
Free-Sherbet2206@reddit
I loved living in the dorms. Those showers always had hot water lol
PhilTheThrill1808@reddit
Yeah, I really don’t get why the prospect of living away from parents with a bunch of new people/potential friends in a (very, at least in my experience at an SEC school) loosely controlled environment sounds “infantilizing” to OP.
Dorm life was great my freshman year.
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
Agreed. I even enjoyed being an RA for a year.
OneNerdyLesbian@reddit
Many do rent apartments, but dorms can be more convenient because you're already on campus, which is where a lot of students will spend most of their time anyway.
Commuting in most parts of the US also means owning a car, which might be an expense that college students (who are often low on cash) don't want to bother with.
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
Frankly, you’re still growing and need to get over this.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Everybody tells me "Your brain is still not developed you may be an adult but still have to grow" yet somehow I still regullary get flirted on by guys double my age.
AlannaTheLioness1983@reddit
1) Learn to spell check.
2) Being flirted with by creeps twice your age is not the flex you think it is. Your immaturity is showing (and they’re on it like vultures on roadkill).
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
Those guys probably aren’t the guys you’d actually want to date or be good for you long term.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Oh trust me. My point is "I am still a kid except when it comes to being of legal age to try to sleep with" I HATE THAT HIPOCRISY
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
Yeah, don’t put too much thought into those guys.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
What does that have to do with anything?
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
My point is " Everyone says I am still a kid except when it comes to being of legal age to try to sleep with" I HATE THAT HIPOCRISY
TheCloudForest@reddit
The good thing is that OP is proving herself to not be a bot/AI.
The bad thing is I definitely wasted my time replying with a few paragraphs of detailed explantion of something she doesn't care about.
PhilTheThrill1808@reddit
Perhaps the American university system could teach you a thing or two about logic. You need it.
itsjustmo_@reddit
Acting your age would decrease the number of people who infantilize you far quicker than complaining about it.
Global_Mud_7473@reddit
People probably would infantilize you if you didn’t act like a child.
JimBones31@reddit
Are you really 19? Or maybe 9?
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
Well, you sound like you are 12 years old.
So I think I know why it apparently happens to you so often.
GreenLost5304@reddit
The human brain, especially the decision making part of the brain, isn’t even close to fully developed until 24-25 years old.
Legally, they are adults, mentally though, they’re still subject to much of the same decision making, because their brain isn’t developed.
WrongJohnSilver@reddit
In all honesty, this is a terrible argument.
Firstly, there are the limitations on the study, as mentioned by others.
Secondly, it infantilizes young adults and threatens to take away their agency. It's an argument used to take young adults and say, they shouldn't be allowed to do what they want. They should do what I want.
And I'm sure you see the risks presented by that mode of thinking.
GreenLost5304@reddit
They can still do what they want.
They don’t have to go to class if they choose not to, but their grades will suffer if they don’t, and colleges don’t really want to fail people if they don’t have to, so by giving them dorms super close to campus, it becomes a lot more difficult to wake up in the morning and say “ugh, I don’t want to walk to class” when that walk is only 5 minutes.
I can say this as a student, who last year was a 5 minute walk from class, and this year is a 15 minute walk - it works. The fact that I have to get up earlier alone means some days I just don’t feel like moving.
Students are still free to do what they please, but that doesn’t mean that the school shouldn’t, and doesn’t, encourage them to do what is best for themselves.
RegnumXD12@reddit
It doesnt affect your argument, but a funfact for you. The study you're referencing is accurate. 25 is the age they ran out of funding and stopped, we're fairly certain your brain never stops developing
Hawk13424@reddit
I think you meant inaccurate. Yes, more recent studies have shown brain development continuing into the 30s.
RegnumXD12@reddit
Yes i did, edited.
quothe_the_maven@reddit
You’re drastically underestimating how wild American college parties get, because the drinking age is 21 and almost everyone is living far from home for the first time. It would be insanity to throw all college kids into that. Requiring dorms by no means stops that, but it helps to moderate the freshmen’s behavior. Students failing out is also disastrous for schools. Requiring freshmen to live in that dorms helps prevent that. If that’s “infantilizing” to someone, there’s a ton of schools that don’t require this. It’s just not going to be the suburban/rural type schools you see in the movies.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Trust me I am not lol, I saw a TikTok of some bodycam footage of this: video and was BUMMED. I googled and the more I googled the more I was confused fatarenity and saranterity (I have no idea how to pronounce it let alone spell it) and the more I dug into it the more I was bummed.
sysnickm@reddit
In many cases it is these students first time away from home. They aren't used to the freedom and responsibility that comes with going to a large state school.
Students are most vulnerable to fail or drop out in the first year, so schools do what they can to tilt the balance.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I guess I can see how that can make sense though I still don't like that it is litteraly FORCED.
nakedonmygoat@reddit
State schools don't force students of any age to stay in dorms. Some private schools do require it the first year, but if you don't want that, don't go to a private school. And even in schools that say they require it the first year, there are usually plenty of exceptions, like for older students, married students, etc.
OwlFreak@reddit
As you get older, there will be many times you are forced to do something that you do not want to. Life will not always bend to your ideas and wishes.
So, if nothing else, I guess forced dorming is good practice for the rest of life lol.
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
But I don’t wanna pay taxes, drive the speed limit, stop at stop signs, go to work, register my car… 😭
ditzyzebra@reddit
It’s “forced” but if the student has a good enough reason, like the live close to the school, the school will still let them live off campus, they just have to fill out some paperwork. I tell all my high school students to live the dorms for at least a year though. It’s a good way to get to know their peers and to grow up a bit.
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
My kids did this. Lived at home by choice despite the rule that required living in a dorm.
Appropriate_Dish1015@reddit
I agree. I don't like it either. But people are trying to answer your questions. We don't have control over college policies. You are sort of acting immature in your replies.
There are some colleges who do not require students to live on-campus. Students can go to one of those if they desire.
My oldest, 18, is finishing their first year of college and was not required to live on-campus but decided to for some independence and because their scholarship covered it. Every family/individual has to make the choice that fits their situation best.
anerdyhuman@reddit
In some schools, and even then there's exception. Also, the people can choose to go to that school, so is it really forced?
sysnickm@reddit
Well, they don't have to go to that school, there are plenty that don't require it.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
There is always an alternative, but often that alternative is not what the person wants to do (e.g. starting at a community college)
silversurf1234567890@reddit
As an American, I agree
Reasonable-Record494@reddit
That's not the only reason. Particularly in smaller college towns, there's not enough private sector housing for all the students. Colleges want to develop camaraderie and have a campus culture; this is part of how they develop it. It's seen as part of the college experience. Some schools have students live on campus all four years (mine did).
jvc1011@reddit
I was 17 when I started, and I know many others who were 17 or 16.
sk3tchy_D@reddit
First of all, even though 18 is usually the legal age of adulthood, the human brain isn't finished developing until between 20 and 25. When you're in your 30's reminiscing about college this will become pretty obvious. Second of all, it's not really about making sure students get to class on time. It guarantees that the dorms and dining halls are being paid for (even public colleges and universities over here are focused on making money) and it forces students to be more engaged with campus activities. Increased engagement makes them more likely to keep giving money to the school.
Lucky-Bonus6867@reddit
You yourself said you’re living at home, yes?
RegnumXD12@reddit
As a former 18 year old, Have you ever met one?
BlazinAzn38@reddit
College is still very much sink or swim regardless of if they ask you live on campus or not(even at schools where it’s a policy they still make exceptions).
Prior-Soil@reddit
I have no idea why many people in Europe send their grade school children away from home for education.
TheCloudForest@reddit
Can you at least try to ask and respond to questions with curiosity and interest? Is that too much to ask?
I've actually answered this question for you already.
Ok-Possibility-9826@reddit
to be fair, that tends to be an age group where folks are still learning how to be responsible adults. you’d be surprised how many people screw up college the first time around because they’re simply unaccustomed to navigating life without adult supervision.
ixsparkyx@reddit
Okay? They’re still 18 year olds who just got out of hs 3 months ago before going to college lol. If they choose to get a dorm then they must be on campus lol
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
eyeroll
TramRider6000@reddit
What if you start university at a later age, like 35. Would you still have to live in a dorm together with 18 year olds during your first year?
TiFist@reddit
Those folks get a waiver. It's a non problem
_iusuallydont_@reddit
Also, they don’t need to worry about things like bills and rent which could be a distractor from school and classes.
BlazinAzn38@reddit
It also forces socialization and learning to at least sort of live on your own
IceDaggerz@reddit
To #2
They’ll say it’s to foster community and bring students closer together while they adapt to life away from home.
In actuality, they just want money.
Honestly, I lived on campus my first year and it was fun. It definitely made it easier to meet people, but it wasn’t entirely money
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
How was it fun to live in a tiny room and to share you bathroom with like 40 people 😮
silversurf1234567890@reddit
Dorm life is awesome.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
My friend sent me an image of her dorm bathroom. There was PUKE IN THE SINK.
Free-Sherbet2206@reddit
Do you think that stuff doesn’t happen with roommates sharing an apartment?
silversurf1234567890@reddit
Oh the horror……
Nobody is sharing showers with 30 people
MaroonFahrenheit@reddit
Are you actually here to engage in conversation or do you just want to be right about your beliefs?
Apocalyptic0n3@reddit
Communal bathrooms are not as common as non-Americans seem to think. I would say most dorm experiences will be living in a 2-3 room suite with 2-4 people that share a bathroom that has a sink, toilet, and shower.
jvc1011@reddit
Some dorms are entire apartments, and some are family student housing where students (both undergraduate and graduate) can live with a spouse and kids. They are a ton cheaper than typical apartments in the same area.
ilPrezidente@reddit
Community bathrooms aren’t exactly the norm anymore. In my experience they’re mostly various versions of a suite style that aren’t that bad to live in.
DarkDNALady@reddit
At most you would share your bathroom with 4 or 6 people (atleast in my univ). It’s a lot of fun because everyone is going through the same experience, leaving high school and venturing out on your own in college. You get to interact with people outside your subject courses, people you might never otherwise have reason to meet. Some of my lifelong friendships were formed in that first year with people who were in wildly different fields than me (science nerd with art major and history major friends).
Univ is a life experience too, more than his studies, it’s a chance to get out of your house and town bubble and know people from different walks of life
TheCloudForest@reddit
How is going to summer camp as a kid and taking cold showers fun? It just is.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
Why are you choosing to respond like an ass in every single comment?
IthurielSpear@reddit
Oh look, another country does things differently than my own country. Since it’s America it must be wrong.
OneNerdyLesbian@reddit
Not all dorms have bathrooms shared by the whole floor. At my school, the freshman dorms were like that, but the dorms for sophomores-seniors were suites where you only shared a bathroom with your suite mates, so it wasn’t different from sharing an apartment.
Comprehensive-Tea-69@reddit
It was fun, and easy to make friends. Most people go away to college in the US so making friends is a part of the experience
emmasdad01@reddit
Did you come here just to be a contrarian, or were you hoping to have a productive conversation? Contrarian is my bet.
TheCloudForest@reddit
Reflexive cynacism is really the most tedious part of Reddit.
nglyarch@reddit
Cynicism is healthy. Toxic positivity is not.
Historical_Term2454@reddit
More money.
They say it’s because living on campus improves student success, but it’s just the money.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
As a European this is wild. Here dorms are seen as cheap and affordable housing that is available only to select studnets.
Connect_Office8072@reddit
Dorms here are not only expensive but many times they are genuinely awful places to live - noisy, falling down, crowded and with shared bathrooms. I lived in dorms at school and even though they were shared, I preferred apartments off campus. It’s usually cheaper to live off campus and usually there is access to a kitchen so that you don’t need to eat all of your meals on campus (which are not available late at night and are usually pretty bad.) Lots of students who live in big cities are commuters since it is often preferable to live at home than in student housing. When I went to law school, almost everyone was a commuter and lived at home. I was a bit older and married so we had an apartment, but I could never have afforded the housing close to campus.
BobDeLaSponge@reddit
It really varies by school and region. For more than a decade now, SEC schools have been competing for students by building fancier apartment style dorms. Some schools don’t even have the communal bathroom style dorm buildings left anymore
nakedonmygoat@reddit
Every university is different. The state university I worked at for 26 years built new apartment-style dorms, a recreation center, an additional dining hall, and had meals available 24/7. And it's considered second-tier among our state universities.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
In Croatia they are not awful but can be crowded and often do have shared bathrooms but at least they are dirt cheap (govt pays for them).
silversurf1234567890@reddit
Dorms are cheaper and can be bundled in with aid
Historical_Term2454@reddit
Dorms are cheaper at UCLA and NYU, for example.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I don't think you understand how cheap and affordable I mean. It's between 35-120 euros for a dorm room in Zagreb University (the capital of Croatia) while apartment rent for studnets is in 400-700 euro a month range (so most if not all need roommates even in apartments.)
holymacaroley@reddit
My Alma mater 30 years later is still the cheapest university in my state. Looked it up, living in dorms costs $6,500 to $8,418 per year depending on where. Then if you live on campus, you are required to also purchase a meal plan (unless that has changed over time) which is an additional $5,628 per year.
Historical_Term2454@reddit
Cool
karmapuhlease@reddit
No offense, but that's also because the cost of living is radically lower in Croatia vs in the US. The median Croatian household earns about $15k/year, whereas the American equivalent is $80k-90k/year.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
That's great....
But completely irrelevant
scarlettheathen@reddit
Often the college will put an exemption for living on campus if you live locally and with your parents. I know mine did if within 50 miles. Also usually exempt if married, have children, or over 25.
o93mink@reddit
No matter how much they cost, the university would rather have that money than some local landlord
TheCloudForest@reddit
College in the U.S. is kind of a weird stepchild of the British elite boarding school system or the Oxford residential colleges. They are a kind of total institution.
Eat_Locals@reddit
I might quibble with a detail or two, but this is the gist of it. For example, Harvard’s house system came about to level some of the differences between wealthier students who were renting fancy places off-campus and poorer ones who were in campus dorms.
Megalocerus@reddit
Young people in dorms develop connections and friendships with other students, which is good for them socially. It's easy to connect with other people in your area of study. Plus there are social events--people do expect students to form future professional connections as well as find appropriate mates.
Adventurous-Chef8776@reddit
Many universities now have a deal where if you graduated from high school in the same area of the university and are accepted that classes are free but you have to pay for room and board and live on campus.
University is the whole school, college is the department. You are in the college of nursing at the University of Harvard. Americans just tend to say college for both.
A community college gets you an associates degree. Some people stay with that and some people go on to university to get their four year bachelors degree. This can be a cheaper way to go.
papercranium@reddit
I went to a small liberal arts school where all students who were unmarried, had no children, and age 21 or younger were required to live on campus in dorms unless there was a crowding issue. They said it was to foster an appropriate sense of community. (This was the same reason they didn't allow part-time students.)
It had been that way since the school was founded as a religious college where the rules for student behavior were VERY strict. Things are much more easygoing these days, but still pretty rooted in that tradition.
count-brass@reddit
Some colleges have enough housing and food services and such, so they require students to reside in dormitories. Additionally, in some college cities, there isn’t enough rental housing or public transportation, so not enough capacity in town to support a whole bunch of students. Where I went, campus living was required, but you could apply to live off campus and you usually could. I elected to stay on campus all four years.
Pale-Fee-2679@reddit
The college I went to restricted off campus living to keep us out of the rental market in the small town where it was located. It helped the town-gown relationship. Wealthy students competing with low income families for housing was not a good look.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
In Croatia we have a somewhat simmilar problem in our coastal cities. We are a major tourism destination in the summer so a lot of landlords will say "You must move out in the period of July 1st and October 1st"
Why?
Well they rent to students from October to July and then tourists from July to October and since exams often can extend to mid July and also happen in September it causes problems for students too. If they don't have good enough grades or low enough income for a dorm they have to fight for the few available apartments or just commute for that period for like 2 hours.
gravely_serious@reddit
So much of their funding is dependent on graduation rate, and numerous studies show that kids graduate at a higher rate when they live on campus.
SharpProfession6@reddit
Because it helps create a campus community. It feels like a nicer campus and better place to live when everyone lives there compared to just a place people commute to. However, if you live nearby, any requirement can be pretty easily waived and you can live at home.
Proof-Emergency-5441@reddit
Money
Prior-Soil@reddit
Because if you don't live in the dorms, you don't make any friends. Everyone I know that skipped living in the dorms had a terrible college experience. The dorm is set up to help you build social connections. You don't just live there, that's where you have social activities and eat all your meals together.
GoldFingerSilverSerf@reddit
There is a drastically higher chance of a student not graduating college if they’re not a part of the college in their daily life.
Hms-chill@reddit
At the college where I work, most first year students have to live in on campus dorms because it helps them build community and makes them less likely to drop out.
They’re used to being around their friends for 8-10 hours per day; going from that to an apartment away from your support system can make it hard to find community. If they’re living on campus, they’re in close proximity to their peers, and they’re more likely to make friends.
bassjam1@reddit
They either have to live on campus OR live with family within commuting distance.
From what I saw of my friends who went away to school several of them went nuts their freshman year when they suddenly weren't under the watchful eye of their parents, so I'd say the reason is to ease them into being responsible while living on their own.
DOMSdeluise@reddit
fostering community, culture, connections etc by making all the new students live together. allegedly. also $$$
joanfiggins@reddit
They say it's for the community aspect. They think if people are on campus they will better experience college, make friends that share interests, easier to get a support system going, etc.
But ...they also make money off the room and board. It's typically wayyy more expensive than a shared apartment of the same size and roommate number.
Level_Mastodon_8657@reddit
Mostly a requirement for freshman. Better access to student support, as it is often needed in a student’s first year.
baddspellar@reddit
My school required first year students to live with family or on campus unless a waiver was granted. It's primarily intended to help students get accustomed to college life with a greater chance of success.
RevenueOriginal9777@reddit
Disagree with you on number 6. In VA if less expensive to go to community college and transfer to a major university. The college system makes sure all credits will transfer. My DIL did this, lived a home, saved thousands of dollars and money wasn’t an issue
Historical_Term2454@reddit
I wasn’t stating opinions. A community college is a lower-tier school focused on a two-year degree.
RevenueOriginal9777@reddit
Sure. I agree but many do 2 year as a feeder school into a 4 year. Same classes, just live at home and pay much lower cost per credit hour. In VA you can get into the better schools doing this.
I love the idea of community college for those areas that don’t need a 4 year degree
Proof-Emergency-5441@reddit
No one is saying you can't. That doesn't change the facts. Stop getting butthurt over facts.
RevenueOriginal9777@reddit
Im out of there. You need help, please get it.
Proof-Emergency-5441@reddit
No, you do. Flipping out over the fact that a community college is indeed a tier below a 4 year institution is insane.
RevenueOriginal9777@reddit
You do not know what you are talking about, but that’s ok. Sounds like an elitist Also, not flipping out, just responding to a question.
StormFallen9@reddit
For 3 I figure it's mainly because some schools had the space available for the whole campus to be together. Lots of universities, especially in European countries, were likely built or were expanded into regions that were already urbanized or more densely populated, which means they need to build wherever they can buy, which can be across the city. But for many colleges in the US, they're able to get access to a singular large area of land (because we have lots of land that hasn't been settled yet) so almost everything can be in one location, which is easier to police.
TooManyDraculas@reddit
No that's purely because many universities and colleges in the US aren't in cities to be spread around.
When they are in cities they are often spread around and integrated into the city just as OP describes.
Suburban and rural colleges don't have a downtown to be integrated with.
Both the university I attended, and the multiple other universities in my city are spread around. Including on their own defined "campuses". Which are pretty much normal city blocks that just happen to be mostly university facilities, intermixed with other city blocks.
That's a pretty normal thing to see in US cities, regardless of size.
Historical_Term2454@reddit
There are several reasons for it and it’s case-dependent yes.
Smaller schools can get away with “campus security”
Eat_Locals@reddit
People do that, but the more interesting phenomenon (to a foreigner) might be people whose family live in commuting distance but stay in a dorm. My parents told me that if I went to a local university I would have to live on campus, dorm life being part of the experience.
Different schools have different policies. In total, I’d guess it’s only about 15%, but one is much likely than the other depending on the type of school we’re talking about. Large public universities, like “The University of [State]” (see #7) will usually require students to live in a dorm their first (freshman) year, but most live off-campus in houses or apartments after that. At a smaller school, like most private colleges, students are often required to live in campus dorms for several years, and encouraged/expected to do so for all four.
Many of them were built where land was cheap, or were able to buy land nearby on the open market or via eminent domain.
A few reasons probably, but one is that police are expensive, and when you add 10,000 young men to an area you’re going to need more police. Schools having their own means the cost is covered by students’ fees rather than the public at large.
This is America—we like options. But seriously, point #3 is part of it. Then the school gets bigger and comes to dominate the down economically and socially. Another, where public schools are concerned, is political horse-trading. State Assemblyman Jones agreed to vote for putting a university in the biggest town in Smith’s district if Smith votes for a bridge in Jones’s.
A (usually) two rather than four year school that is less expensive but doesn’t offer advanced courses, and confers a “lesser” degree. Many people attend with the goal of transferring to a four-year school. Community college are all(?) public, and often have agreements with the picnic schools in their state about that. They tend to be considerably cheaper, and high school sometimes take classes at them while still in high school.
It’s a little fuzzy, but universities tend to be larger and confer doctoral degrees, while colleges are smaller and don’t. That said, it’s common for universities to have subdivisions that they call “colleges”. Like, East Podunk State University might have a “College of Sciences”, Or, to take a real example, Harvard University has a graduate school for public health, but undergraduates attend Harvard College.
Most go the fall after they finish high school, though some do take a year off. The most common exception is people who joined the military after high school. That’s something called the “GI Bill” That helps pay for higher education for military folks—some people enlist just for that.
jvc1011@reddit
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I did hear of them, I asked why don't all colleges follow that example but some formed in the middle of nowhere.
OneNerdyLesbian@reddit
A lot of those universities are land-grant universities. These universities were meant to educate lower class students, who often lived in more rural areas. They were also required to have agricultural programs, which required a large amount of land.
wismke83@reddit
Adding to this, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the US states established formalized and mandatory primary and secondary education, educated teachers with formal training were needed. Thus teaching colleges were established throughout states, usually outside of the state’s major city as a way to get certified teachers into more rural areas. These teaching colleges (also called normal schools) morphed into more comprehensive universities in the mid 20th century, often post WWII in order to educate students through the GI Bill, thus creating college towns we know today.
Free-Sherbet2206@reddit
Because not everyone wants to go to college in a big city. My school was mainly an agriculture school and it was so much fun being in a college town
jvc1011@reddit
There are almost 3,000 four-year colleges in the US, and about 15 million undergraduate students alone - that’s not counting students in MA, MBA, JD, MD, and PhD programs. You want every single one of those in the handful of major cities?
There are college towns in Europe, too. Cambridge and Bologna to name two. You’re pretending this phenomenon is somehow uniquely American. It definitely is not.
The_Motherlord@reddit
The US is huge but in general about 25% of students live with parents or relatives. Many universities seem to like to select students from out of their area because they can charge ore for out of state students and they claim it is part of the education experience to live on campus or to live away from family.
Approximately 15% of students live on campus. This is more heavily weighted towards freshmen, 50% of first year students live on campus.
Real estate costs and real estate donations from alumni. When the University was started it usually started with a donation of a large tract land. Oftentimes a University was started on cheap land outside a city but the city grew to surround it.
More like private security that are simply called Police. At public colleges and universities they are usually a division of the city police department.
Same answer as 3.
A 2 year city owned and operated college that usually has a vocational focus (or several) ex. nursing, paramedic, fire fighting, airplane mechanic, vet tech, animal care, etc. They are very reasonable in cost, have very convenient scheduling (night and weekend classes) and are set up as incredibly welcoming to all ages so they very often are people under 18 and over 60 in classes. My sons started attending at 13. The credits are the same as university classes and transferable and oftentimes the professors also teach at the area universities so students get the same education for greatly reduced cost and meet a broader range of classmates. Many transfer to university after 2 years, some obtain a professional certificate/license and you can opt for a 2 year associate degree.
Thereelgerg@reddit
Campus police are police, not security guards.
Sensitive-Chemical83@reddit
Fairly uncommon. Going to college is seen as the time to get away from your family and forge your own identity. Not saying it doesn't happen, but it's uncommon.
Depends heavily on the university. Some require students to live in dorms, some don't have dorms at all. So anywhere from 0%-100% but typically you live in a dorm your first year and maybe second and rent an apartment after that. So maybe 30-40% of students are in dorms as the norm. But among first year and second year students it's probably closer to 80%.
Many of our universities are "public land grant universities" meaning the state set aside a plot of land for the university to be built on. No real reason for it to be that way other than it was expedient at the time. And now it's just how we do it.
They're not real police. They're basically glorified mall cops.
We do also have universities in big cities but going back to the "public land grant universities" thing from #3 if the state is giving out land, they don't want to do it in a city where land is valuable. So hence the "college town".
A community college is a smaller college, typically run by a city or county rather than a state. It may or may not have accredited programs. Typically you can only get an associates (2 year) degree from a community college. When a bachelor's (4 year) is considered the standard of higher education. But community colleges are a lot cheaper, and many class credits will transfer to larger universities so it's not uncommon for economically disadvantaged students to do a year or two at a community college and knock out a bunch of class requirements for cheap and then go to a university to finish a bachelors degree. Community Colleges also tend to have a lot of community outreach and "just for fun" classes for the community. Sometimes a community college becomes so big and capable that they become a proper university. But that's pretty rare.
A college is an academic institution for a specific discipline. A university is a collection of colleges under one administrative umbrella. So the University of State might have the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Mathematics, the College of Life Sciences, etc. Stand alone colleges do exist, but those are typically much smaller schools with less prestige. Although the name doesn't necessarily tell you anything, Boston College for example, is by definition a University.
It's not normal to start late but it's not uncommon either. In America if you join the military for at least 4 (I think they recently changed it to 5 or 6) years the federal government will pay for your college as part of your veteran benefits. So it's not uncommon to have a 22-23 year old veteran who just got out of the service just starting college. "Gap years" are also a thing, where you take a year off from school for whatever reason. I took a gap year because I got a good job offer and really liked the work, and where I was living, and all that. So I took a 18 month break from college before going back to finish. Some people use their gap year to travel and see the world. So while starting "late" is not the norm (but again, not uncommon) finishing "on time" is actually very rare. Only about 1/6 finish a 4 year degree in 4 years.
Thereelgerg@reddit
Campus police are real police.
boulevardofdef@reddit
I would venture to say that it's about half and half. The classic college experience is going far from home and being on your own for the first time, but a lot of American kids don't have the classic college experience. It will typically be significantly more affordable to stay home, and that's a factor.
This varies greatly by school. Where I went to college, it was very common to live in a dorm your first two years, then get an apartment for your last two years. I think that's a pretty common model.
I think a better question is why European universities DON'T work like this, and I assume the answer is that they were founded in packed cities where land wasn't available. Why do people work in one building instead of spending their day hopping between different offices in different locations around a city? Having everything close together is more efficient. For the record, when I was in high school, I wasn't willing to consider any colleges that didn't have a parklike central campus, because that was the experience I'd always imagined and wanted.
I don't really know but I imagine it's because it would be logistically difficult for municipal police departments to have to same level of access to campus areas that the university's own police department does. I would also think it's because the university has different law-environment priorities than the municipality.
Because more land is available and the university can control its environment better.
It's a two-year institution run by a local government where students can earn associate's degrees and credits can be transferred to four-year institutions. It's always been a much more economical way to work toward a bachelor's degree and is gaining popularity for that reason. They will typically also offer non-degree courses and programs aimed at all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons.
These terms are often used interchangeably and I see other commenters here saying they're the same thing. This isn't really true. Traditionally, a university is focused on research and offers a wide variety of graduate degrees, while a college is focused on undergraduate education, perhaps with a small number of graduate degrees offered. There are plenty of exceptions to this rule, but that's the rule of thumb. American undergraduate students will typically refer to themselves as being "in college" even if they attend a university, but note that graduate students will almost never say this. Many universities will have component institutions they refer to as colleges, e.g. the College of Arts and Sciences.
Not very common but far from unheard of.
Outrageous-Pin-4664@reddit
It's not uncommon to attend a local university rather than go away to school. Living at home varies. Some universities require freshman to live on campus, which is a bit of a racket imo. If they don't, the student might live at home at first, but move out at some point during his academic career.
At my local university, about 80% of students live off campus.
Some are, some aren't. The College of Engineering at our local university occupies a separate space from the main campus. Some universities also have campuses in other cities. For example, the University of California has ten separate campuses spread around the state.
Why shouldn't they?
Colleges were founded in the distant past to serve local areas. In some cases, the towns in which they were founded became very large, and in some cases they didn't. For example, Princeton University was established in 1746 in Princeton, NJ. It's the quintessential college town. Columbia University was founded in New York City, NY in 1756, but obviously NYC has a lot going on besides education. It's just how things played out historically.
A community college is a two year college that offers Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. They are less expensive than four year universities, and offer students the ability to take their basic studies classes at a lower cost than if they did their first two years at a university. They are also easier to gain admission to, and allow students who did poorly in high school an opportunity to improve their academics before moving on to a university (or at least fail to improve at a lower cost).
A university is typically divided into colleges.: College of Engineering, College of Arts & Sciences, College of Fine Arts, College of Education, etc. Each college sets its own requirements for earning a degree. There isn't a hard line of separation. Engineering students will take a lot of classes in the Arts & Sciences department, which covers mathematics and physics.
Colloquially, we often just refer to university as college, and some universities even have "college" in their name (Boston College), which can confuse people who have very fixed ideas about the difference between a university and a college. Basically, "college" is used very loosely, except where it applies to the divisions within a university.
I ended up not graduating in my first run at college. I went to work for a while, and then went back when I was 29. I can still remember in my first French class where we were taught to give our age en Français. It went around the room: "J'ai dix huit ans." "J'ais dix neuf ans." Dix huit, dix neuf, even a dix sept. Then it got to me: "J'ais trente ans." All the young heads swiveled towards me.
One thing about older students is that they know by then what they want, and they aren't looking to waste time or money failing classes. I did much better that time around.
MessoGesso@reddit
One thing you haven't mentioned is private or public. Maybe you aren't aware that some of the differences are because some universities are public and some are private. I didn't know what the differences are. I knew the difficulty to enter university programs and the certainty to obtain on campus housing. At 17, I wanted to liive in a dorm, not in a city apartment.
I attended a private university in a college town. The university was created by a married couple on a large piece of land. Currently, that land includes the streets, open spaces, and businesses surrounding the campus. That's why it's all in one place. The place didn't exist before the university did.
The university now has room to house all students. When I was there, were guaranteed only 3/4 years for a 4 year degree. We want to live there because it's safe, close to students, classes, and food. To get off of university land, you have to go all the way off of the property , and then into another city. It's probably a half hour commute, to start.
You can attend a 2 year college first snd transfer into the 4 year university.
JasminJaded@reddit
Very
Don’t know the stats
Planning
That’s how they’ve decided to do things
Both are common
A college that is focused on jumpstart in your education. Often attended by people seeking a 2-year degree, people who can’t afford a university, those trying to improve grades before going to a university, etc.
University is the entire school. Colleges are part of the university, but specialize in various topics.
Very.
wolferiver@reddit
For number 7, Americans use the term "college" and "university" interchangeably, but there is a technical difference between them. A university encompasses several colleges, whereas a college is a single school of higher education. Thus the University of Michigan, for example, has a College of Pharmacy, a College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, a College of Engineering, the Ross Business School (which is a college), and 9 other colleges for undergrads. It has graduate colleges, too, including ones for Medicine, Dentistry, and Law.
By contrast, the Hobart and William Smith College, in western New York, offers degrees in arts and in science, but from a single institution, and department of whatever (humanities, or science, for example.)
The distinction is only technical, since a degree from either a university or a college amounts to the same thing. Alumni from a university still reference themselves as having graduated from college, and with only a few rare exceptions, would not say "I graduated from XX University, College of YY".
bigcat7373@reddit
Half my friends went away and half stayed local. I went 2 hours away so I was close enough to come home easily.
I lived on campus my first two years and off campus housing my last 2. This is fairly common
Why buy multiple pieces of property when you could buy one large one?
It’s not really a police force, it’s just security. There are enough dumb kids and some of these campuses are massive that they need security around 24/7.
Colleges are businesses. Property in big cities are expensive. You buy land cheap in a rural area and throw a college there. If it’s big enough, it creates a whole economy from that college. Brings in people and jobs. Clemson comes to mind just because I drove past it a few weeks ago on a road trip. Idk anything about that place besides the college.
Community college is just a cheaper place to go. Smaller classes than the big schools, local, not prestigious. Still gets you a degree and is a way smarter path if money is an obstacle or if the name of your school isn’t very important.
Idk honestly.
It’s very common. When I graduated undergrad in 2012 there were always a handful of older people in my classes. I’d imagine it’s only going to grow because it’s more common to start a new career later in life now.
Thereelgerg@reddit
Campus police really are police.
bigcat7373@reddit
Interesting. Looked it up and you’re right for the big schools, but smaller ones may just have school security.
No-Lunch4249@reddit
1) Lots of people do this but it isn't considered "typical." Most people want to experience being on their own for the first time.
2) Depends by university and the housing options theg have. Most students live in a dorm for at least their first year though.
3) There are plenty of American Universities which are also more urban in nature and spread out. But in part it is due to the Land Grant System from the late 1800s
4) Do Universities of YourCountry^TM not have their own security? Highly doubt that.
5) See number 3, you've basically asked the same question twice.
6) Community College is a college operated by the local government. Usually aimed at providing a 2-year degrees that a student would then transfer to a university to finish their education, but some provide 4-year degrees.
7) Don't get too hung up on this, its mostly semantic. Difference without distinction.
8) Idk
Standard_Plant_8709@reddit
I don't know where OP is from, but in my country (Estonia) I've never heard of security in schools or universities.
Hawk13424@reddit
Maybe it’s a size thing. Texas A&M has 78,000 students.
theEWDSDS@reddit
Correction: 78,000 cult members
Slight_Manufacturer6@reddit
Not all community colleges are state run. There are also private ones but far fewer. And to add the 2-year degree doesn’t need to transfer to a 4-year degree. Sometimes people go to these smaller colleges for trade jobs like welding, electrician, web design certificates, etc.
I don’t know how common it is but I was 22 when I started college for my first degree. Later I went back at 35 for another. Now I am 47 going for my Masters.
78723@reddit
BobDeLaSponge@reddit
Community colleges are usually not operated by the local government. They’re a part of a statewide system of 2-year colleges
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
For the most part they do not, they may sometimes hire private security guards but in general they do not.
JimBones31@reddit
One of the universities I attended has a student body of 16,000 people. That's a lot of people for a town that otherwise has less than that in regular townfolk.
Hawk13424@reddit
Texas A&M has 78,000 students. The town it is in has 50,000 full time residents.
JimBones31@reddit
On a much smaller scale, the school I finally graduated from has a student body of 1500 and a winter population in the town of 1000.
sharpshooter999@reddit
The University of Nebraska Lincoln has 24,000 students enrolled. My entire county has a population of 3,500. The football stadium holds 85,000. The 3rd largest city, Grand Island, has a population of around 60,000. UNL has it's own police force AND power plant
wismke83@reddit
A university police force is often needed to help take pressure off the local police department. An example from where I live (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Marquette University established a full service police department a few years ago. Before they had a security department. The problem with just having security is that they don’t have the same powers of investigation and arrest like a police department. Thus for crimes committed on campus it fell on the Milwaukee Police Department to do the police work. By establishing a police department Marquette now has dedicated police officers that can now do all that a not need Milwaukee Police. Also Marquette police can help Milwaukee police when needed through mutual aid. A lot of large universities in the US will double the population of the college town they are in when the semester is in session and their physical footprint can be very large. They are almost like small cities, and they don’t contribute tax dollars (via property taxes which is one of the most common ways local governments in the US fund local police departments) to the local town or city they are in, so for the local city to police the university it’s a financial burden without any revenue coming in.
Standard_Plant_8709@reddit
I don't know where OP is from, but also in my country (Estonia) I've never heard of security in schools or universities.
TheGrauWolf@reddit
forestinpark@reddit
Number 4 is weird to me, when going back to my country or visiting relatives in other countries. In Norway, cousin would ask of me to pick up his kids from kindergarten or school. My first question, did you put me on an authorized kids to pick up your kids? He just looked, this is not USA, just pick up kids like a normal human being.
I just walked to school, apologized for not speaking Norwegian, said the names and they pointed me towards the classroom where kids are.
My elementary school was used as a short cut for the whole city. Instead of walking around the school, people figured out you can walk thru school from one entrance to another. Normal to see old ass people just walking the hallways.
Same thing for universities, there is no security. If there is, it is more likely a janitor or disabled person so that is type of a job they can do. Sit thru off hours, walk around building once or twice.
zuckerkorn96@reddit
It’s not as much about security as it is that universities are often large enough that they justify having their own small police department. With 30,000 people living on a campus in an otherwise small town, it just makes sense for the campus to be like its own little jurisdiction
ForestOranges@reddit
1) It feels like the norm is to move out, but Google says more kids stay home. Probably because community colleges and trade schools often don’t have dorms.
2) Many universities force students to live on campus for a year or two if your “home” address isn’t in commuting distance. Many students move off campus to an apartment when they get a chance.
3) We don’t have public transit like in Europe. We do have spread out universities, but having everything in one centralized, walkable area is convenient, especially since we have less public transportation available.
4) Sometimes our universities are the size of entire towns or cities. It would be a bit much for the local police to handle, especially if the college is in a small town.
5) In my home state there’s only two big cities, each on opposite ends of the state. Education is run at the state level here, so it’s cheaper to attend a university in a state you live in. If the universities were only in our big cities, people from the interior of the state would be FORCED to move 3+ hours away from home just to study. Having universities around the state makes education more accessible. And for historical reasons they built these universities too.
6) A community college is a college that offers Associates Degrees (2 year diplomas). Some of these jobs pay decent, but many use their 2 year diploma to transfer to a 4 year university. Community college is much cheaper and very few have dorms. Most students commute from home or there’s a lot of adult students taking night classes.
7) Not a huge difference, but universities are usually bigger and offer more programs/degrees/graduate programs.
8) It happens, but idk how common. I had class with some people like this, but there weren’t many. It’s more common to see this at community colleges.
Haruspex12@reddit
It’s a pretty common thing, but it depends on where you are. In my state, it takes ten hours to travel from the southwest corner to the northeast and is about 1100 Km but we only have a million people. It’s not physically possible to commute in many regions because the roads close for weather or fires.
Most unless their parents live in the town. Most universities make it mandatory, at least as freshmen.
They are not, generally, but can be. It depends on the geography, the history of development, where land was cheap and so forth.
Teenagers do stupid things. Local police respond to the political wishes of their electorate. A minor crime might be ignored by local police or the response may be stronger than makes sense. The drinking age is 21 and it is a crime to consume alcohol below 21. Local police are more likely to come down hard on them.
Because the United States is vast. Some states have no big cities. Additionally, the Congress was committed to building higher education throughout the United States. Plus, if colleges like Aaniiih Nakoda College didn’t exist, nobody that lives there would really be able to go to college. It’s a twelve hour drive from there to the next large city.
It is a college built to supply higher education needs for a local labor force. It’s responsive to local needs.
The curriculum and the textbooks are usually the same. The professors are all mostly PhDs, though community colleges will have more teachers with masters degrees.
Very common. I have had students in their seventies and eighties. And, of course, ex-military are older than 22 usually and they go paid for by their service.
pikkdogs@reddit
Variety geographically based on what’s available nearby. But when it makes sense it happens a lot.
More than they used to.
I think you should ask Europeans why they are spread apart? Seems weirder.
Because they have need for them I guess. And police taking a long time is bad publicity.
Who wants to send their kids to a big city? It’s thought that smaller towns are safer.
A small 2 year school in small towns where you can start your college and then transfer into a bigger one. I went to one and was paid to go to school there (since it was cheaper than what the government wanted to give me for school).
Technically a college is a department in a university. But everyone here just uses the names interchangeably to refer to the whole place.
Pretty. Most students are usually younger, but you willl pretty much always have someone older in your class.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I mean wouldn't students be more likely to want to live in big cities due to there being more to do?
Free-Sherbet2206@reddit
No, I chose my school because it WASN’T in a big city
Concentrate_Previous@reddit
Not every kid is looking for the same experience. Not every kid is looking to study the same thing. Someone who lived in a town of 2000 people their entire life may definitely not want to live in a big city.
Proof-Emergency-5441@reddit
Also not every kid is going from rural Wyoming to NYC. Its going from rural Michigan to Ann Arbor or East Lansing (population 125k and 50k respectively). Not exactly massive metro areas like NYC or LA or even Chicago.
pikkdogs@reddit
Traditionally it’s the parents that make that call. Not the kid.
OneNerdyLesbian@reddit
A lot of student social life is focused on campus in the US, and college towns still typically have a lot of bars and things because of the students living there.
superkt3@reddit
Uhhh the approximately 200,000 higher ed students in Boston are doing just fine in the big city.
One_Recover_673@reddit
Response time of university police forces are faster than local, the university funds them and they are not burdened by local funding limits but public schools are funded at state level. Plus they can train in and be more knowledgeable of the campus. Consider large companies with big campuses like Apple or Ford have their own security.
Not all are the same. Florida State has security issues that Florida Gulf Coast just does not.
Keep in mind the size of the US and the sheer number of schools that are here compared to what you find in European countries. Similar reasoning
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
If you’re fortunate enough to live in a place where committing to a good college is an option, it’s probably the best financial decision. Two of our kids have done this and have or will graduate with a good degree and no student debt.
Most colleges have some security.
Some colleges are spread through a city but most were started away from a city and walking is a primary mode of transportation.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I don't see how it can be more expensive and as somebody who does this I love it, my college is litteraly a 5 minute walk from my apartment. It's a blessing.
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
I’m not sure what you’re saying in the first line, but I know my kids benefited by attending the local university and commuting. Walking would be nice but the apartments and food on their own would be a lot more expensive than the commute.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
I meant to say that I do not see any scenario where living at home can be more expensive than moving out to a different city for college.
Mister-ellaneous@reddit
When I said “probably the best financial decision”, I mean long term. Not every local school will give equivalent opportunities, so it might be better off long term to move out to a better school.
MissFabulina@reddit
For #7, people do not seem to understand the question.
A college is an individual school. You can have a stand-alone college. Community College is an example of a college. There are also private colleges. A university has more than one college. For example, my university has 4 undergraduate colleges and 16 graduate colleges. I graduated from my college, but also from the university of which it was a part.
Ceedubsxx@reddit
College vs university- isn’t it mostly about whether the school does bachelors only vs bachelors and graduate degrees?
HugeRoof@reddit
Very common for community college, relatively common for state universities if you happen to live close.
A community college is a two year lesser degree granting program. In most states, the associate's degree they grant is a guaranteed satisfaction of many university requirements.
Community college is a cost efficient method of completing the first two years of a bachelor's degree. The downside is that it is a continuation of high school style instruction. Typically lots of homework versus universities which tend towards lectures + tests.
Pale-Fee-2679@reddit
Community colleges are often a wonderful opportunity for many folks.
1) They’re generally located in cities to allow poorer students to commute—often by bus where I live. They’re usually cheaper too.
2) They’re also a great resource for adults who have been out of school for a while and have families.
3) They have lower standards for entry so that they’re an important opportunity for students who screwed up in high school. It’s last chance U for some.
4) In areas with lots of immigrants, they have English as a second language classes and often have further support as they move into regular classes.
5) They have classes focused on job training. My daughter-in-law is now a massage therapist because of the local cc. They have training for fire fighters and police officers. This is in addition to classes that will allow students to transfer to a college or university for the last two years for a BA.
6) Because of all the above, their classes are far more diverse than is typical— lots more older students and immigrants. More diversity in income too.
alaskawolfjoe@reddit
hereFOURallTHEtea@reddit
I’m not sure where you are from but the States are huge. I’m originally from Texas and my hometown didn’t have a 4 year university despite being about 100k people in size. I attended a school almost four hours away in my state. The size of many states is the answer to several of your questions. Also, when I attended this school, it had a campus population of well over 50k students. It only makes sense it would have its own campus police; that’s more people than many towns.
Colleges and community colleges are typically the same in that they offer two year degrees or basic core curriculum that is transferable to a four year university. These are commonly more accessible as they are far cheaper and in more cities, especially those that lack four year universities.
It’s very common to attend later in life. I attended community college right after high school then transferred to a four year. I ended up joining the military before I graduated. I went back to school in my late 20’s and did my MBA and law school in my 30’s.
This answers some questions but other’s responses may vary since things can differ between each state.
metricnv@reddit
Adressing #8, I think it is not unusual. My mother finished her 4-year degree and master's degree later in life. I went to college in my twenties and it didn't work out. In my 40s, I went to community college, transferred to a land-grant university for my bachelor's degree, then got my master's degree at another university. Community college is less expensive so I saved money this way.
I will also note, I borrowed money from the government to attend all those schools. In my 30s, I was an AmeriCorps volunteer which paid off 2/3 of those early loans (interest about 3%). When I went back, interest was 5 - 6%, and grad school 7% interest. I graduated with over $120,000 in debt. Fortunately, and angel paid all my grad school debt, and I'm paying only the low interest debt payments.
firelock_ny@reddit
Quick Google:
In-State Attendance: In fall 2016, 78.5% of first-year students enrolled in colleges within their home state.
Proximity: A significant number of students stay close to home; 52% of students do not travel more than 100 miles from home for college.
Status_Agents@reddit
Pretty common actually. A lot of students commute from home to local state colleges, especially for cost reasons. Most stay in dorms in year 1 but move off-campus later. US universities are campus-based like small cities, which is why you see dorms, campus police, and ‘college towns’. Community college is a 2-year path many use to transfer later. And starting college at 20–22+ is totally normal in the US.
GlassCommercial7105@reddit
What do people usually do between finishing Highschool and starting college? I assume you finish at around 18y too, right? So in those 2-4 years in between, what do people do? Here in Europe people either travel for 1-2 years or start university right away.
PainInTheAssDean@reddit
You get a job
GlassCommercial7105@reddit
So the majority gets a job before they go to university? Is it so they can save money because the tuition is so expensive?
PainInTheAssDean@reddit
No - the majority go straight to college. Almost everyone with a gap between high school and college is working a job or is in the military
GlassCommercial7105@reddit
I see because other commenter made it seem like it was normal to start at 20
LoudSheepherder5391@reddit
Generally it's because they need to eat and support themselves. Tuition is so expensive you're not going to make a significant dent with working.
GlassCommercial7105@reddit
We also need to eat and pay rent but we still don’t work 4 years before we start university. We work during university.
Standard_Plant_8709@reddit
If you live in a country with military conscription, then you can also do your service between high school and university.
GlassCommercial7105@reddit
The Us has no mandatory military conscription, no? Or do you mean they usually do that before college if they want to do military?
LittleWhiteGirl@reddit
Usually people finish high school in May and start college in August, it’s just a normal summer break in between.
Certain_Expression41@reddit
It's about the same. Far fewer people do the travel thing in north america, at least in my experience, they normally go straight from highschool. I was weird cause I got out of highschool young (16) and worked abroad for a couple years. Then when I did go to university at 19 I was the "old guy" in my dorm.
risforroses@reddit
Not op, but I think most people go right a way, but its not uncommon to go straight into work or learn a trade then go back later for college. Some people do break to travel, but thats less common.
Nice-Contest1499@reddit (OP)
Is there a reason for this?
In Croatia dorm space is limited and you need good grades and/or low income for it since its very cheap so it doesn't decline after the 1st year.
wismke83@reddit
Most colleges and universities have requirements that first and second years students reside on campus in dorms and after that they can move into apartments or rental houses off campus. Living on campus is often seen by the college as a way to help integrate students into college life. Also students hometowns can be far away to the college they are attending, thus requiring the need for some type of housing to students. My college was a three hour drive from my hometown. My niece is a 6 hour drive. There are exemptions for example if you live within a certain distance from the campus.
Status_Agents@reddit
Yeah, a few reasons for that in the US:
Freshman year is often required or strongly encouraged to live in dorms because it helps with adjustment, making friends, and campus integration. After that, students usually prefer more freedom, privacy, and often cheaper rent off-campus. Also, dorm space is limited and more expensive compared to sharing an apartment with roommates, so many move out after the first year once they’re settled.
Krusty_Krab_Pussy@reddit
I feel like it's super common to stay at home, but it still feels like there's a bit of a stigma against it in the US.
BankManager69420@reddit
Appropriate-Win3525@reddit
I live in a region where there are a large number of colleges and universities in a small area that you could easily commute to daily. It wasnt unusual for many to be commuters, but a lot stayed locally but lived on campus, too.
I went to my local University and stayed at home for both undergrad and grad school. I saved a lot of money and came out with two degrees and very little debt that was paid off very quickly.
Flat-Yellow5675@reddit
Depends on the school. It is more common with regional schools than it is with big name schools like Harvard. There are schools that are considered Commuter schools like George Mason University near DC where the majority of students live at home or in off-campus apartments and commute in. Schools in or near cities are more likely to have commuters living at home. Schools in rural areas or college towns are less likely to have parents live nearby.
This will also depend on the school. Some schools require you to live on campus for part or all of your time there. Other schools do not have enough on-campus housing and do not even have an option for upperclassman to live on campus. To find the statistics for a particular school you will want to look at on-campus vs. off-campus housing. As a general rule of thumb students are most likely to live on-campus their first 2 years and more likely to live off-campus after that. Bigger / more rural schools are more likely to have students live on-campus. More urban schools are more likely to have students live in apartments or houses off-campus.
It is convenient. American universities have a lot of money, one of the things they use it for is to buy up all the surrounding land / buildings. It keeps the school safer because the students are all concentrated together and the public is separate.
It also does not happen as much in cities. It mostly occurs in places where the school was there first and the community grew around it over time - largely because of the schools presence. (College campuses often have a lot of well paying jobs so it makes sense that a non-student population would grow around them)
Safety, convenience, and PR. The local police force really doesn’t want to deal with student shenanigans. And when the local police force does have to get involved you could end up with students arrested - getting criminal records - and bad publicity for the school. Campus police’s job is to protect the best interest of the school. They are more likely to try to defuse situations and drive students home rather than taking them to jail. And if there is a problem on campus it is their top priority to support the school rather than dividing their attention across the needs of the entire town / city.
Depending on the age of the school, often the school was there first and the town sprung up around it / the local community is largely dependent on the university - either directly by working for the school or indirectly by providing goods and services which are mostly consumed by students.
There are schools in big cities - just about every city has a university - big cities often have many universities in them.
But it is much less expensive to buy up land in rural areas outside it the city and bild your school there than it is to build in the city itself.
Community colleges are schools that provide low or no cost education to members of the community. They typically offer certificates or associate degree level work. (No bachelors, masters, etc. ). There is usually no option for on-campus housing - everyone commutes. There is usually a larger age range / a larger number of older students than you see in a traditional college setting. Many of the community colleges have agreements with local universities to help students get in through guaranteed admission processes - so when you are done with community college you can continue on to get your bachelors degree at a local university.
Technically I think the difference is whether they have advanced degrees like masters or doctorates. But in reality the words are used interchangeably and mean the exact same thing to the majority of Americans.
Most people start college in their teens, especially at bigger universities. But at every school there are some older students as well. Even being 2 years older than the average student can feel like a lot on some college campuses where everyone seems to start right after high school. Places like community college tend to have a much larger older population - the skew is often flipped and you have more older students than young ones. You will also get more older students at commuter schools - because older students are more likely to be established in a place with jobs and families - they are not looking to live in a dorm and get drunk with a bunch of 19 year olds on cheep beer from Costco.
cyvaquero@reddit
My hometown area is Nittany Valley, so a large number of classmates/friends attended Penn State. The university had a freshman must live in dorms rule unless you were local. Most of my friends stayed at home their first year but some moved into the dorms. Most had apartments by their second or third year.
No idea you’d have to check individual university statistics.
They usually are spread out with buildings and satellite campuses around the city and other towns but there is usually a core campus, not really different from what I know of in Europe (Sicily, Spain, UK). This is usually a result of growth of the school.
Some university/college campuses have security, some have a fully functioning police department. As to why, it is usually a scale thing.
Many universities are in large cities - NYU, Columbia, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Yale, MIT, UCLA, U of Texas (Austin), on and on. As far as why do smaller college towns exist, I can tell you the for Penn State at least it is because it is a land grant public university so it was located as near dead center of the state as possible to be accessible - a common phrase is “it’s in the middle of everywhere and nowhere”. That said, at one point PSU had 20 campuses throughout the state.
I think a common theme you’ll find is that universities were set up where they could get the land to do it. Cambridge (Harvard and MIT) and Camden (Princeton) were sleepy towns near Boston and Philly but are now just extensions of those cities.
Community Colleges are local colleges partially funded by local taxes, they offer academic (Associates and transferrable credits), vocational (trades), and adult/continuing education at a fraction of the cost of four year universities for locals. Non-residents usually pay more but it still tends to be cheaper than a university. Here in San Antonio there is the Alamo Colleges which now also offers a couple Bachelor’s programs. In more recent years funding has been secured so that all graduates of county schools can attend for up to three years tuition free.
Historically there were limits, universities offered graduate programs, while colleges didn’t and colleges stopped at Associates and trade certs. However, those lines are very fuzzy anymore.
I don’t know how common it is, but I completed my Associates at a community college in AZ at almost 30 years old while on active duty. Completed my Bachelor’s at age 40 while working at Penn State. Because I took non-traditional classes (night, weekends, online) my classes were filled with other adult learners.
sporknife@reddit
Increasingly common as the price of education has increased. See 6 for more information.
Depends heavily on the school. Some schools require students to live in campus housing for 3 of the 4 years. Some schools are in very rural locations that don’t have much in the way of off campus housing to choose from. Other colleges/universities have more limited dorms and most students are living off campus by their second or third year. At all schools I’ve heard of, freshmen are required to live on campus.
Not sure. Lack of reliable and cheap (or sometimes any) public transportation likely plays a factor. Schools based in cities are more likely to have more than one campus because the infrastructure exists. Huge rural schools like Penn State need to provide their own transportation for students.
A. In small college towns, the local force would be overwhelmed when adding college student shenanigans into the mix. Population can double when school is in session, and locals would not accept their taxes being raised. Instead, they bake it into the cost of attending college. B. College police forces are also not generally “real” police. I might be extra cynical, but there are incentives for private schools to keep as many students enrolled as possible so as not to lose the tuition the family pays. Having security on payroll can allow you to overlook things. C. Gun violence. Even our k-12 schools have police offers assigned to schools to deal with threats.
Not sure, but here is my guess: Geography, logistics, demand, and history. We are super spread out. There are a lot of places that are very far from any big cities. For some people in the country, a drive to the airport is 5+ hours away (while going top speed on highways the whole time). Many students do not want to be in a city (from Walden to today) and want a college that allows them to get away. Private schools often sprouted up where there was land (often given to them). The American model generally attaches a lot importance to sports, so having lots of land is a must. Keep in mind that a reasonable number of colleges were founded before entire territories and states were added to our country. It’s hard to predict which up-and-coming town will blossom into a large city and which will atrophy as industry and infrastructure in the country changes.
Community colleges are small, hyper local colleges with limited offerings that allow students to get associates degrees, trade certifications, or electives out of the way for a super cheap price (compared to the insane prices of most colleges). They generally serve one county or a couple of counties. Sometimes they don’t have dorms—the general expectation is that you live at home and are a day student. They are increasingly offering dorms so students can have the “college experience.” They do not offer 4-year degrees, but many students go there for two years and then transfer to a college or university to complete the last two years. They are not seen as being very rigorous, but are fine for low-level classes—and won’t put you into major debt.
We use the term pretty interchangeably. The real difference is that universities have programs that go beyond a 4-year degree. They both have their pluses and minuses.
There are a decent number of kids who take a year off before starting college. Some don’t think they need it, work for a bit, and then decide to get their degrees. Some women have kids and then go back to school. On some occasions, workplaces will ask their employees to go get a degree or certification and offer to reimburse them upon completion of a semester or a whole certification. There are a lot of different avenues and ways to go to school. Now that online school is an option, there is a lot more flexibility. The most common, however, is to go straight out of high school to a physical college or university.
ginger_princess2009@reddit
I lived at home when I was in college simply because my grandmother guilt tripped me into it, I very easily could've lived in an apartment off-campus
OrganizationSouth481@reddit
1- it’s common. Myself and everyone I know commuted and lived at home. We took the train each morning.
2- you’re gonna get different answers by the university for this. The vast majority of students are considered commuters. Meaning they live outside of college dorms. Couldn’t tell you whether that means they commute from an apartment or from their parent’s house.
3- some are spread out. But American cities and towns are typically far less walkable than European ones. And our public transportation is laughable in a lot of places.
4- they’re mostly required to. It’s usually better for the students anyway.
5- this isn’t just an American thing. I feel you’re limiting education opportunities by only having universities in major cities. I’ve lived and worked in a few college towns. I also grew up in a college town. I overall enjoy the environment they create. And feel I got a better education myself thanks to programs the colleges ran with our public schools.
6 - 2 year college usually focused on getting an associates degree. Most use it to get general credits taken care of at a lower cost before transferring to a 4 year
7- unsure. I’ve always considered them largely interchangeable when talking socially. There’s probably a difference.
8- most start right after high school (17 or 18 years old), some take a gap year (start at 19). But it’s less common to start later. It’s also harder. As your high school usually helps a lot with the leg work behind applying to college. However i wouldn’t say it’s rare either. Just more uncommon. One of my absolute best friends from college is 15 years older than me and got her degree at 41 while I got mine at 25 (I started at 17 but did a longer part time track to avoid debt).
Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit
Penn State University in Pennsylvania has 86,557 students. Of course, they would need to have a police force.
On the other hand, some small community colleges may just have a few security guards.
dangleicious13@reddit
Most of my fiends went to a university at least an hour away. but I know a few people that went to smaller universities that were only 20-30 minutes away.
Depends on the university. My university required all freshmen to live on campus unless they already lived in the city. I lived in an on-campus dorm for 2 years before moving to an off-campus apartment for my last two years.
Two main reasons. Easier for students and faculty, and it was relatively easy for the universities to get the bulk of the land. My university got most of it's land back when the city population was >50% smaller and they have slowly expanded as adjacent properties have gone up for sale.
To keep a closer eye on underage drinking, public intoxication, theft, etc. You have a lot of young people in one place living by themselves for the first time.
Various reasons. My university is the largest in the state and it's in the 5th largest city in the state. It's considered a "college town". The city has a population of 100k, and the university has an enrollment of 42k. The university was started in the 1820. Alabama became US territory in 1818, and a state in 1819. There were only 144k people in the state in 1820. Tuscaloosa (where my university is located) was one of the brief early capitals of the state before the capital was moved permanently to Montgomery.
A small, cheap college. Course options are more limited, and you may or may not be able to get a 4 year degree in your major of choice. Most people that go to community colleges are young people that want to get a few credits before switching to a larger university or older adults that are going back to school to start a different career.
Some of it is just semantics and depends on context. Usually a university is made up of multiple colleges. Like I went to the University of Alabama's College of Engineering, but if you ask me where I went to college, I'd just say Alabama or the University of Alabama.
Way less common than starting college at \~18.
Apocalyptic0n3@reddit
IthurielSpear@reddit
As with most questions on this sub: it varies widely!
Engelbettie@reddit
Yeah, pretty much EVERY kind of higher education experience exists in the US somewhere.
EaglesFanGirl@reddit
Depends -some say its common, it's not that common.
Most 1st and 2nd years live on campus, after that, you typically live off campus. Some schools have 100% guarnteed housing all 4 years. This varies from school to school.
European Universities developed after most European cities had already been well established. This is NOT the case in the USA. Most were established on land that wasn't developed. Not all European Univerisities fit your model by the way. Some American Universities do have buildings over all over the city, especially if they developed later on.
Colleges with their own police forces are to maintain security and be trained and funded by the college. In PA, where I live, it's pretty common. Those officers can only enforce laws on campus and follow issues off campus. Local police are NOT allowed on campus (there are exceptions) unless called in by the campus security team. It was a postive things as our campus security was better trained on campus issues that the local PD. Almost every college in the USA has campus security (not all are officially cops) and most were created after a VERY serious incident regarding a woman named Jean Cleary, who was raped and killed in her dorm room. Some campuses are massive, and with a population of that size, you are going to have some bad eggs. Campus Security isn't going to help you with a stolen book (though mine helped me with a stolen bike) but they'll usually give you a ride home at night or help with more serious issues. People complain that they only stop parties - that's not completely accurate.
Many colleges in the US were built before the development of the town. The town has developed around them. Some colleges were built as part of town and both grew together (kind of the town where i went). Some were created after towns were well established. Good College towns are usually a reflection of what students want and need and reflection that growth. They feel very very different than you average town tbh. Not all college towns are great. Cities are generally not reflective of the needs of the college, except maybe right around campus.
Community College is a highly subsidized local college that offers programming to residents. You still pay, but it's more affordable and easier to secure a loan or scholarship. The course selection is more basic on some topics and often includes more technical courses ie. car mechanics. It typically offers Associate degrees (2-year degrees) and occupational certifications. It's not as academically rigorous either. They don't have housing and not as many services or other programs for students ie. clubs, sports teams etc but its an excellent choice for a lot of people.
Simply reason, colleges typically focus on only Undergraduates. They tend to have smaller class size and more access to the professors. They may have more limited research opportunities but you generally won't have a class taught by a graduate student, aka. Teacher's Assistant (TA). Universities have populations of graduate and PhD students as well as usually a sizeable undergraduate program. Classes are signifigantly larger. This changes the dynamic as professors are often more focused on their graduate students and their research (usually professor-driven research). PhDs are more independent. It's not uncommon for graduate and PhD candidates to help or even teach courses for a professor, especially in larger universities. There is usually a larger course catalogue at universities and more research opportunties for undergrads (if they graduate, students don't take them first). More universities are also state-subsidized and can be cheaper than colleges.
There's more nuance than that, but that's the primary difference.
Squarg@reddit
I went to school in the early 2010s so caveat all my answers that they might be out of date, although I would be surprised if they were.
1 very common, college is the time to start being independent so a lot of people will want to not stay with their parents. It definitely happens but usually as a cost concern. This is in contrast to community colleges where the majority of people are usually locals who commute.
2 depends on the school but usually students are required to live on campus the first year at least and then move off campus sometime after that. Some schools also have on campus apartments that function more normally that dorms and upper class men will utilize them if they want to stay on campus. I'd say 90% of freshman and then decrease the number by 25% per year.
3 not sure but I'm guessing it's because the US is newer than Europe so it was easier to just buy a huge plot of land and build a campus.
4 not sure if this is an official reason but basically it's a bunch of teenagers being idiots and the school police department is much more lenient because of that fact. A lot of things get put through the school disciplinary board instead of through the justice system too for what I would assume is a similar reason.
5 again the one thing the US has is a lot of cheap land. It's just easier to build a big campus in the middle of nowhere. That said all major cities have large prominent universities in them. For example, I live in Philadelphia and we have UPenn, Drexel, Temple, La Salle and St Joseph's just in the city limits as well as dozens of others, like Villanova, Swarthmore and Haverford in the metro area.
6,7 the types of schools are related to what degrees they offer. The 4 degree types are Associates, Bachelors, Graduate and Post Grad. Generally community colleges focus on 2 year associates degrees and people taking individual classes and because of that are very common. I don't know if this is exactly true but it felt like every county in my home state (NY) had a community college. Bachelors degrees are your standard 4 year degree that most people think of when they "go to college." A college offers these (and maybe some associate programs) but that's it. A university on the other hand offers graduate and post graduate programs. These are less classroom based and usually more research or independent study with occasional discussion groups. A lot of times smaller undergrad group discussions will be taught by grad students who are working with a professor in the field.
8 not uncommon but not the modal outcome. Lots of people take gap years after high school and some work a bit to get money beforehand.
If you have any questions feel free to ask
prosperosniece@reddit
It’s actually very common in areas where a college is located for students to live at home and commute to campus. None of my friends or relatives went away to college. We all lived at home and commuted to campus.
Engelbettie@reddit
I don’t know the answers to all of these, but here’s some stuff I do know.
I don’t know numbers, but it’s definitely common to live either at home with parents, in a dorm, OR in off-campus housing. And it’s quite common to go to college as an older student too. There are truly all kinds of college students & all kinds of colleges.
Is this actually true? Schools might have a main campus but lots are definitely spread around in multiple parts of the city. I think when there’s a main campus it’s probably just the original place the school started before it expanded elsewhere. Honestly, there’s just a lot of variety depending on where you are.
I’m not entirely sure about the police forces, but most likely it has to do with local government feeling resentful about funding services for thousands of young people who they consider transient residents unlikely to stay permanently. Offering their own police force & medical staff lets the school be more self-sufficient.
There are probably lots of reasons for this, but the US is huge & historically the government has incentivized (white) people to populate new areas. A university in a tiny town makes that town more appealing to move to. There are a couple major legislative acts in the 19th & early 20th century that established the concept of land-grant universities, which was an attempt to improve & democratize higher education. This gave every state, including very rural states, land & resources to build big high-quality schools in areas far from urban centers. Ongoing government funding sometimes allows the school to grow more quickly than the town around it, & then you end up with a college town.
Americans tend to call any college or university that offers a bachelor’s degree “college” when speaking casually, which is different from English in most other English-speaking countries where they’ll always say “university”. Institutions might be formally called either a college or university (universities are generally larger & tend to offer more degrees) but Americans will say “college” either way.
HammyOverlordOfBacon@reddit
For # 5: "College town" usually isn't something that starts out as a "college town" it could have been a relatively small town that got a university of some kind (usually agricultural) and it expanded in educational scope and physical size to become the main employer/attraction of the town. At that point it becomes a "college town".
superkt3@reddit
In my experience, fairly common, but I am about 6 minutes by car from downtown Boston, so commuting to a top tier school is very easy for local students.
widely varies, typically younger students live in the dorms and in their junior/senior years move to off campus housing.
also widely varies, I went to a smaller school in Boston, our campus was fairly compact, but other schools like BU or Harvard have buildings and satellites all over the city.
federal requirements, ease of management campus safety, scope and size of the campus and as a way to have dedicated support for student/ faculty needs that local police couldn’t or would be slow to meet.
We have both. Boston, New York, LA, Chicago, Miami all have some very well known schools. Older schools had the cities built up around them, so they had already established a campus footprint before the city grew. In later years land in bigger cities became more difficult to come by, so schools expanded out beyond the cities.
Smaller, more accessible colleges sometimes for lower performing students who may not have gotten into a bigger school. They grant 2 year degrees, and often skew towards vocational training, like medical assistants, dental hygienists, fire science, paralegals, etc as well as a traditional curriulum.
college vs university is an accreditation thing, and it’s sort of complicated, but usually based on the levels of education and the scope of programs offered by the school.
Anecdotally I‘d say the majority of people who go to college do so right from high school, so 17-19, but many people go back or go for the first time as adults.
ChoppedUnc-SF@reddit
For big city universities, it is more common to follow a European model, e.g. NYU has Manhattan and Brooklyn campuses. Students in big cities are less likely to live in a dorm.
The classic American university is in a small city, wherein live on campus in a dorm in what feels like a world unto itself, hence the phrase "town and gown", the separation between the regular residents and student residents. There's a rite of passage element. For most, it's their first time living away from home. Campus police are necessary because America is a violent country. The idea is that it's a safe immersive environment where they can concentrate on learning.
jmsnys@reddit
Depends and depends. I went 1500 miles away. My brother went 200, my sister went 70. Living with your parents is less common I think.
The vast majority of 1st and 2nd years live in a dorm I think. Really depends on the school though
A substantial amount of schools are spread out, but single campus sites are way easier. It’s most likely because they are younger schools
They’re big places, and if you can afford your own security/safety why not?
Because city land isn’t cheap. You need a footprint for 40,000 people for most the year but not all of it? Why build in a major city
2-yr school to get an associate degree
There is a real difference but really it’s potato potato
Most people start at 18–starting a little older is still common
Ok-Possibility-9826@reddit
1) Pretty Common. 2) Idk off the top of my head, I’d google it for exact numbers, but if I had to guess, maybe half. 3) This actually depends on where you live. Some campuses do span all over the city (my hometown does) and then some are just one area. 4) Because people do illegal shit on college campuses. 5) Because there tends to be a LOT of students who live in/commute to that school, so much so that it may as well be referred to a college town. 6) A school in your community that helps you complete the first two years of university for a way cheaper price and then you can transfer to university for free. 7) College and university tend to be used interchangeably, with the exception of number 6. 8) People literally start college in their 30’s and 40’s all the time. 20-22 is literally nothing. Super common to start at any age, to the point where we have lots of schools specifically for full time working adults.
houdini31@reddit
I did that when I went to college. Staying on campus was and is hugely expensive.
TheCloudForest@reddit
These are too many questions, some unanswerable, and some Googleable.
As for #5, the answer is that starting in 19th century, the federal government funded the construction of institutions of learning in the practical arts, including agricultural, that were often built in the geographic center of the states, in a relatively rural area. These institutions grew in scope and scale to become the flagship universities of each state (e.g., University of X or X State University). Later on, the states also built teacher training colleges that often also grew into full universities (often Northern/Southern/Western X University).
Additionally, the cultural and economic elite also had a tradition of building bucolic colleges as a sort of secular monastery (or not secular, in many cases, as most were connected with a religious denomination). The semi-rural setting was part of the mystique as almost a temporary respite from real life.
Comprehensive-Tea-69@reddit
I love your description of colleges as secular monastery. That feels so true when you visit campuses, particularly for older more storied colleges.
Interesting-Quit-847@reddit
For the most part, the universities in the US have had the opportunity to create planned campuses. Perhaps more so than in other countries.
gard3nwitch@reddit
Mostly this is "it depends".
A community college is a common type of public educational institution in the US. Their goal is to educate people from the local community, so they don't typically have any housing, and are typically very inexpensive. They offer a mix of trade school, vocational programs, and lower-lever university courses. So some might go there to learn to be a dental hygienist or auto mechanic, while others are taking some basic courses in business or education before they transfer to a state university to finish their degree.
Larger universities are less likely to be nearby to you. Where I live, for example, my city has one community college and one expensive private college. The nearest public universities are all at least one hour drive away, so students tend to go live in the dorms. But if you lived near one of those schools, you'd probably live at home and commute.
JustWatchingthefun01@reddit
Financial_Emphasis25@reddit
I went to a college that required students to live on campus, but me and my school friends all lived in town and we were all given exemptions so we lived with parents to save money. The college we went to was all self contained within its own campus.
anna_alabama@reddit
TiFist@reddit
Let's focus on the definition of University (a graduate-degree granting institution containing multiple colleges focusing on multiple subjects and probably primarily doing research more so than teaching) vs. college (a bachelor's degre-granting institution that primarily focuses on teaching.)
It's common to go to a nearby college and live with your parents. If you have been accepted into a *university* it's much more likely that it will not be near where you live. It's possible. Major Universities in major cities often have a bit of a bad reputation because students *don't* always move there and leave home.
Depends entirely on the university. Many require all incoming students to spend 1 year at a dorm, others encourage it but don't require it. The % of living in apartments or other rentals goes up the older/farther along you are.
Because if you live in a dorm you can walk to all of your classes and you can stay somewhat enclosed within the campus for a comprehensive college lifestyle. Research units of universities are actually much *more* likely to be spread around the city in my experience. It's the teaching units and housing that are more centralized.
Public universities do. I'm not sure I can give a good explanation why other than they're more focused on the types of crimes likely to be committed there. The city's police force is also welcome to go into a university if needed. It's not like the border between the two is impossible to cross.
See number 1 and number 3. Also cost of land/housing, but mostly to keep students connected with each other in their campus bubble and because living at the university is part of the experience. (No excuse to stay at home.) At least traditionally.
Community colleges are non-resident colleges (no dorms) where you do live at home. They take students of all ages and teach college classes at lower cost but also teach classes that are vocationally focused (like maybe welding or to be come a veterinary technician or something along those lines.) They are not prestigious but help fill in gaps. A student at University for example may come home over the summer and take a class at their local community college system. That class then transfers to the University. They can do this for a number of classes that are not key to their major course of study and it costs less to do it that way.
See 0
It's possible to go to college later in life but most people go right after or shortly after high school. Obviously there are exceptions like people who have served in the military may choose to go to college right after that and they may be in their early 20's. There's no specific limit. Of course graduate students are likely to be in their late 20's to maybe even 30's depending on when they decided to pursue graduate studies.
MasterBlasterSnap@reddit
I’ll just answer #7 since others are skipping it, but I believes a college only gives out bachelors degrees while a university also offers postgraduate degrees.
Minimum-Attitude389@reddit
For smaller towns, pretty common. Suburbs, it gets to be less common. There's still a lot of students that stay in state, but not necessarily within commuting distance of a university. Staying at a parent's home is not very common at a university. But at a community college, it's more common.
This will vary a lot. Some school require first year students to stay in the dorms on campus if they're under 21. I stayed off campus as much as I could. Grad students generally don't live in dorms.
For state universities, they are often state controlled and land grant. Many will have satellite campuses or partner with community colleges. But property in cities is expensive.
Campuses are big and full of 18-23 year olds, a large crime demographic. Combine that with required reporting of crimes on campus, they try to deter crime as much as possible. It's not necessarily their own police force, but a branch of the city police will be stationed specifically at the campus.
The universities are often controlled by the states. Some states don't have big cities. These rural areas are the kinds of people I was talking about in 1. People from the region will go to that school because a lot of people are not be able to travel to a large city to attend school. The cost of living in a large city is much higher.
A community college is a non-residential, generally 2 year school. They offer certificates and associates degrees. They generally don't have dorms, sports, or other features that you'd see at a 4 year school. Since there are no dorms, these students will all commute from nearby, making them part of the community.
A university contains multiple colleges. A college contains multiple departments. Most bachelor's (4 year degree) granting schools are universities, but not all. Within a university, colleges are often semi-autonomous.
It's not very uncommon. I was 21 when I started. I was often one of the oldest in my classes, but not always. There are a lot of "nontraditional" students.
Impressive-Weird-908@reddit
Most of the largest schools in the US are commuter schools
baddspellar@reddit
There's a lot of marketing involved in #7. "College" tends to be used to message a focus on undergraduate education, and."university" messages a breadth of offerings at an undergraduate and graduate level.
There are also quite a few engineering schools that use "Institute" instead..MIT, RPI, WPI, Georgia Tech, CalTech, etc
1029394756abc@reddit
I went to a community college. Yes not the list prestigious but I walked out debt free. Plus many states have programs where you can start at a community college and then transfer to a 4 year college with a lot of transferable credits. It’s also great for kids who don’t exactly know their path and not throw away money on degrees that they will never fully pursue.
p2dadecka@reddit
Altruistic_Cause9442@reddit
Highly depends on what university you go to and the financial situation of the student and their family
Depends on what school you go to. I go to a very large state university and usually people will live in a dorm their freshman year and live in a house/apartment the other three years. But in smaller schools it’s more common for students to live in dorms all four years.
Because it’s just better to have it concentrated in one location. A better question is why do European universities have campuses like that, and I’m assuming it’s because the universities were established well into the history of a city, whereas American cities are a lot younger and therefore it’s easier to find places where you can have a centralized campus.
Because it helps students be safer, and feel safer.
It’s cheaper and easier to build massive campuses in smaller cities and towns. Also a lot of people prefer a small college town atmosphere to a big city atmosphere.
Community college is a place where you can go to get your associates degree, or take classes for cheap prices and then go on to a university for your last couple years and earn a bachelor’s degree. Basically it is a good way to save a lot of money and still get a great education and degree.
Universities are usually much larger with more students and have a variety of graduate programs.
Not very common but it definitely happens. Also there are sometimes people 40 years older than the “normal” college students taking classes.
SamizdatGuy@reddit
There is probably data on all of these questions, this info is tracked closely. I found this after a quick search:
College Enrollment Statistics [2026]: Total + by Demographic: https://educationdata.org/college-enrollment-statistics
Redbubble89@reddit
LittleWhiteGirl@reddit
pretty common. Tuition is usually cheaper in your home state.
many universities require you to live in a dorm for the first year or two, after that it’s generally much cheaper to rent an apartment. If you have a full ride that covers housing you might continue to live in a dorm.
we do not have great public transit in most places
large universities are like towns/small cities in their own right. If they relied solely on neighboring police forces there would be issues with response time as well as funding complaints from the towns and cities that fund the police.
cities are expensive to live in and do not have as much room for campuses to expand. College towns pop up around colleges, not the other way around.
a cheaper option than a university, typically you can get a two year degree or professional certificate there but not a bachelor’s or masters.
this I actually don’t know
taking a gap year isn’t as common here as it is other places, but it’s not abnormal to “go back to school” in your 20s and 30s after working for a while and realizing wherever you’re working isn’t going to be your jam long term.
mortalcrawad66@reddit
Depends on the college itself. With some colleges being labeled as "commuter" colleges, because almost everyone commutes there instead of living on campus.
No idea.
They're not.
Because they're big, and having more specialized trained officers to deal with things is better overall.
They're the same thing. . . A college town is just a town or city, that has a college in it. UofM is in Ann Arbor, a very big and important town in of itself. Yet, it still gets labeled a college town.
A smaller college focused more on smaller degrees and certifications. While also being cheaper, so transferring between a CC and a bigger college/university is common.
Studies vs research and studies.
It's not uncommon to have 40+ year olds on a campus.
Lifelong_learner1956@reddit
3, 5 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land-grant_university
emmasdad01@reddit
Very and depends on the school.
Varies.
It makes a lot more sense to have everything close together rather than spread out.
Universities are basically small cities.
You should see how big the US and how spread out things are.
Community colleges are two year institutions where you can earn an associate’s degree, and often include trade school elements.
Use Google.
Use Google.