For Lucy Brazier, a second-year business management student, commuting to university was an easy decision. She lives near Colchester, where the University of Essex is based. And with overnight accommodation available on campus, she feels she gets the best of both worlds.
I’ve used it after nights out, and the evening before exams so I don’t have the stress of driving in the morning. It’s been really helpful.” Brazier is far from alone. More students are choosing to live at home while studying, and universities are increasingly adapting their courses and campuses to make commuting easier.
According to Ucas, 612,690 UK students aged 18 to 20 who applied before 14 January 2026 made at least one application stating that they intended to live at home – up 8% from last year’s figure of 569,880. With commuter students now a significant presence on campus, Universities UK chief executive Vivienne Stern says the traditional model of student life is changing. Many offer flexible ways to access learning and resources, or adjust students’ timetables to suit those with longer commutes or other responsibilities.” Amira Campbell, former president of the National Union of Students, says the trend has been building for more than a decade.
In some cases, this is because students simply cannot afford the residential university experience any more. Many are students from non-traditional backgrounds accessing higher education for the first time, who prefer to stay close to home. Universities have responded in practical ways.
Manuel Souto-Otero, from the School of Education at the University of Bristol, says many institutions now timetable teaching on fewer days so students are not travelling in for a single lecture or seminar, while also reducing long gaps between classes. Extracurricular activities are increasingly scheduled in the afternoon rather than the evening and many administrative services have also moved online, reducing the need for students to make unnecessary trips to campus. At the University of Leeds, the commuter society organises events that finish before 8pm so students can still get home easily.
Changes like these also benefit students balancing study with work. If teaching is concentrated into two or three days, the remaining days can be used for paid employment. Even so, commuting has its downsides.
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