College kids increasingly staying closer to home?

[Anonymous]

The podcast Ask Lisa had an episode on homesick college kids. Lisa mentioned, "We also have seen, statistically, kids are going less far away to college than they used to. In the wake of the pandemic, the kids are staying closer to home." I couldn't find a source for that statement though.

I feel like we are too quick to blame everything on the pandemic but the general consensus seems to be that this is the anxious generation. So I guess it wouldn't be surprising if kids did want to stay closer and when they leave have a tendency to be more homesick than earlier generations.

[Anonymous]

I suspect its more about cost, with air fare, etc. vs. pandemic. Pandemic has been over for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The podcast Ask Lisa had an episode on homesick college kids. Lisa mentioned, "We also have seen, statistically, kids are going less far away to college than they used to. In the wake of the pandemic, the kids are staying closer to home." I couldn't find a source for that statement though.

I feel like we are too quick to blame everything on the pandemic but the general consensus seems to be that this is the anxious generation. So I guess it wouldn't be surprising if kids did want to stay closer and when they leave have a tendency to be more homesick than earlier generations.

I don’t know what the definition of “close to home” is, but it’s always been the case that 90% of kids stay within 500 miles from home.

[Anonymous]

My 3 kids went to school abroad….so no luck for me….missed them like crazy….2 in the UK and one in the Netherlands

[Anonymous]

My kid sees no reason to go across the country for college since we have good schools here in our state. Exceptions would be hypsm. So he plans to apply to those, knowing his chances of getting in are close to zero, and two or three others close to home which will likely be where he ends up going.

[Anonymous]

Statistically most kids have always gone to college close to home. The median distance between home and college is 17 miles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Statistically most kids have always gone to college close to home. The median distance between home and college is 17 miles.

Wow, that’s crazy.

[Anonymous]

Yes it's always been the case that kids generally speaking don't go all that far away for college. Going far away is a DCUM striver kind of thing and it has its consequences. The kids go away to an expensive college with a big name and the parents are happy for four years -- then the kids graduate, don't come back, and raise the grandkids in another city. Your relationship with all of them becomes one of frantic gatherings during holidays and that's about it. The closeness is gone forever.

But, hey, their big name colleges and impressive jobs sure make for good conversation at cocktail parties, eh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The podcast Ask Lisa had an episode on homesick college kids. Lisa mentioned, "We also have seen, statistically, kids are going less far away to college than they used to. In the wake of the pandemic, the kids are staying closer to home." I couldn't find a source for that statement though.

I feel like we are too quick to blame everything on the pandemic but the general consensus seems to be that this is the anxious generation. So I guess it wouldn't be surprising if kids did want to stay closer and when they leave have a tendency to be more homesick than earlier generations.

I don’t know what the definition of “close to home” is, but it’s always been the case that 90% of kids stay within 500 miles from home.

Source?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes it's always been the case that kids generally speaking don't go all that far away for college. Going far away is a DCUM striver kind of thing and it has its consequences. The kids go away to an expensive college with a big name and the parents are happy for four years -- then the kids graduate, don't come back, and raise the grandkids in another city. Your relationship with all of them becomes one of frantic gatherings during holidays and that's about it. The closeness is gone forever.

But, hey, their big name colleges and impressive jobs sure make for good conversation at cocktail parties, eh?

This is exactly what I am afraid of… kids going to far off college then just settling there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The podcast Ask Lisa had an episode on homesick college kids. Lisa mentioned, "We also have seen, statistically, kids are going less far away to college than they used to. In the wake of the pandemic, the kids are staying closer to home." I couldn't find a source for that statement though.

I feel like we are too quick to blame everything on the pandemic but the general consensus seems to be that this is the anxious generation. So I guess it wouldn't be surprising if kids did want to stay closer and when they leave have a tendency to be more homesick than earlier generations.

I don’t know what the definition of “close to home” is, but it’s always been the case that 90% of kids stay within 500 miles from home.

Source?

DP. Take a look at this:

https://ticas.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/HIllman-Geography-of-Opportunity-Brief-2_2023.pdf#:~:text=Approximately%20two%2Dthirds%20(69%25)%20of%20all%20undergraduates%20attend,in%20public%20research%20and%20private%20non%2Dprofit%20institutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes it's always been the case that kids generally speaking don't go all that far away for college. Going far away is a DCUM striver kind of thing and it has its consequences. The kids go away to an expensive college with a big name and the parents are happy for four years -- then the kids graduate, don't come back, and raise the grandkids in another city. Your relationship with all of them becomes one of frantic gatherings during holidays and that's about it. The closeness is gone forever.

But, hey, their big name colleges and impressive jobs sure make for good conversation at cocktail parties, eh?

This is exactly what I am afraid of… kids going to far off college then just settling there.

Happens all the time. It's sad. Didn't happen to us, though. Other parents we know are jealous.

[Anonymous]

Curious - are the people saying that it’s terrible that kids go far forcing their kids to stay close to home?

I went to school 8 hours from home and eventually settled about 2. But DC is where my parents met and I had extended family still in the burbs.

I had no desire to go to the state school 15 minutes from our house. I didn’t even apply. The closest school I applied to was 1 hour from home. My own child didn’t apply anywhere less than 3 hours from home (those were in VA, though)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes it's always been the case that kids generally speaking don't go all that far away for college. Going far away is a DCUM striver kind of thing and it has its consequences. The kids go away to an expensive college with a big name and the parents are happy for four years -- then the kids graduate, don't come back, and raise the grandkids in another city. Your relationship with all of them becomes one of frantic gatherings during holidays and that's about it. The closeness is gone forever.

But, hey, their big name colleges and impressive jobs sure make for good conversation at cocktail parties, eh?

My kid goes to school an hour away but will still end up starting their career in SV 3000 miles away. Thats where the best opportunities reside by far.

Of course, we aren’t curmudgeons thinking they need to come to us…assuming they will be there long term, we have the flexibility to go to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Statistically most kids have always gone to college close to home. The median distance between home and college is 17 miles.

Wow, that’s crazy.

How? Most people aren’t that smart and aren’t able to afford moving across the country for an experience.