Is it typical for most college kids to go to college four or more hours away from home?

[Anonymous]

Florida? Well, with DCTAG, the price for a DC resident to attend Florida State is about 11,000 dollars.

[Anonymous]

But there are SO many schools within a few hours of DC. PA alone has almost 200!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it amazing that people on this board don't seemed fazed about their kids going very far away for college. If a kid goes to college far away, it greatly reduces their chances of returning after graduation. That being said many people in the DC area aren't originally from here and may not have plans to stay here indefinitely, so maybe that's it. They never expected to live close to their kids once they reached adulthood anyways. As for me, my entire family lives in VA, and it seems normal to be close to family. The idea of only seeing my adult kids 2x a year is heartbreaking. If my kid really wanted to go far away to school, I would allow, but I will be honest, I'm certainly not encouraging it in any way.

That's part of the point. We don't want him to settle here, and we'll be gone three days after retirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of US college students enroll within 50 miles of home.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/02/03/when-students-enroll-college-geography-matters-more-policy-makers-think

My kid graduated from a Montgomery County high school last spring, graduating class of around 600 I think. There's no way a majority of that class was even admitted to schools within 50 miles of home. Sure, a good number of those kids are going to MC, UMD, UMBC and the various other publics and privates in and around DC, but there's no way that number is over 300. UMD for example is just not going to accept that many kids from one high school.

This will give you an idea of where they are accepted.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-magazine/september-october-2018/where-bethesda-area-high-school-grads-applied-to-college/2/

[Anonymous]

I feel like it is a big beautiful world out there, and I would be sad if my kids never experienced more than the DC region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But there are SO many schools within a few hours of DC. PA alone has almost 200!

Many of which -- certainly not all -- are not that great and not that generous with financial aid or merit scholarship.

I do agree that DC is unusual in this regard. I grew up in Missouri and the norm among my childhood friends' children is to go to college in MO, IL, IA or KS. Among my circle in DC (the city itself) 80% of students are attending college outside of DC/MD/VA. New England, California and the midwest are the most common destinations.

[Anonymous]

In some jobs geographic mobility is expected, particularly in academia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This will give you an idea of where they are accepted.

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-magazine/september-october-2018/where-bethesda-area-high-school-grads-applied-to-college/2/

Thank you for sharing. I had not seen that before.

Be careful drawing too many conclusions though. My kid was in that class, and her university shows 30 applied, 12 were accepted, and I know that only 2 enrolled.

[Anonymous]

Virginia is a pretty big state so some Virginia schools are more than 4 hours away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it amazing that people on this board don't seemed fazed about their kids going very far away for college. If a kid goes to college far away, it greatly reduces their chances of returning after graduation. That being said many people in the DC area aren't originally from here and may not have plans to stay here indefinitely, so maybe that's it. They never expected to live close to their kids once they reached adulthood anyways. As for me, my entire family lives in VA, and it seems normal to be close to family. The idea of only seeing my adult kids 2x a year is heartbreaking. If my kid really wanted to go far away to school, I would allow, but I will be honest, I'm certainly not encouraging it in any way.

This is abnormal thinking. Cut the apron strings already.

[Anonymous]

My kid moved around a lot throughout his childhood. He is looking forward to going to college next year about two hours from where we are. I think he totally understands that life is life anywhere...might as well be close to family that loves you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of US college students enroll within 50 miles of home.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/02/03/when-students-enroll-college-geography-matters-more-policy-makers-think

My kid graduated from a Montgomery County high school last spring, graduating class of around 600 I think. There's no way a majority of that class was even admitted to schools within 50 miles of home. Sure, a good number of those kids are going to MC, UMD, UMBC and the various other publics and privates in and around DC, but there's no way that number is over 300. UMD for example is just not going to accept that many kids from one high school.

Regardless of what you think about your hyper-local situation, that is what the data says.



At public four-year colleges, the median distance students live from home is 18 miles. That number is 46 miles for private nonprofit four-year colleges, and only eight miles at public two-year colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it amazing that people on this board don't seemed fazed about their kids going very far away for college. If a kid goes to college far away, it greatly reduces their chances of returning after graduation. That being said many people in the DC area aren't originally from here and may not have plans to stay here indefinitely, so maybe that's it. They never expected to live close to their kids once they reached adulthood anyways. As for me, my entire family lives in VA, and it seems normal to be close to family. The idea of only seeing my adult kids 2x a year is heartbreaking. If my kid really wanted to go far away to school, I would allow, but I will be honest, I'm certainly not encouraging it in any way.

That's part of the point. We don't want him to settle here, and we'll be gone three days after retirement.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it amazing that people on this board don't seemed fazed about their kids going very far away for college. If a kid goes to college far away, it greatly reduces their chances of returning after graduation. That being said many people in the DC area aren't originally from here and may not have plans to stay here indefinitely, so maybe that's it. They never expected to live close to their kids once they reached adulthood anyways. As for me, my entire family lives in VA, and it seems normal to be close to family. The idea of only seeing my adult kids 2x a year is heartbreaking. If my kid really wanted to go far away to school, I would allow, but I will be honest, I'm certainly not encouraging it in any way.

I want my kids to live where it makes them happy, and where they have the best opportunity. That may or may not be the DMV. I am not putting my desires or needs ahead of theirs.

Yeah but sending them hundreds/thousands of miles away almost guarantees that they will be gone for good. And whose to say that if they stayed closer to home they wouldn't have been happy either?

Not really. Maybe, maybe not.

I don't particularly like this area and don't think it offers much quality of life, particularly considering what it costs to live here. I'd be happy if my kids found better places to live, and I don't mind moving to be closer to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it amazing that people on this board don't seemed fazed about their kids going very far away for college. If a kid goes to college far away, it greatly reduces their chances of returning after graduation. That being said many people in the DC area aren't originally from here and may not have plans to stay here indefinitely, so maybe that's it. They never expected to live close to their kids once they reached adulthood anyways. As for me, my entire family lives in VA, and it seems normal to be close to family. The idea of only seeing my adult kids 2x a year is heartbreaking. If my kid really wanted to go far away to school, I would allow, but I will be honest, I'm certainly not encouraging it in any way.

I want my kids to live where it makes them happy, and where they have the best opportunity. That may or may not be the DMV. I am not putting my desires or needs ahead of theirs.

Translation: I want my kids to go to the college that flows most proudly off my lips at cocktail parties, and if that means they must go far away and never come back, well . . .