A lot of different variables go into selecting a college or university to attend after high school: school size, type, and, of course, location. For some, staying close to home is the obvious choice. But there are advantages to going out of state that cannot be overlooked.

A majority of students usually have spent all of their lives in the same city or state, and might get bored by the surroundings they have known. In this case, going to an out-of-state school allows these students to travel to new frontiers and live in a different place temporarily. Going to college is a journey that should be considered exciting. It may be hard to find excitement in a town, city, or even state that the student has already fully explored.

Another benefit to going to an out-of-state school is that students have higher chances of meeting new people. Students who stay in state may still find themselves surrounded by the familiar faces of their high school peers, while those who leave have a better opportunity to make new friends. College is a place for self discovery, but also to find and compare world views with those who grew up differently than you did, which can sometimes come easier when you leave your state.

Also, freedom is another benefit to moving away for college. Some teens really just want to be as far away from their parents as possible, because they want to be able to be their own person without parental influence. Though leaving home and family is difficult, a lot of students want to experience life on their own, and get far from their metaphorical nest. 

Maybe most importantly, there could be better opportunities for a student’s prospective career at a college outside of his or her own state. Sometimes people have all of the qualifications for a successful career in their field, but they are not in the right geographical location. These students may want to go out of state to get a leg up in their field of interest.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to stay close to home, but some teens want to explore and find new friends, opportunities, and world views. Sometimes those things can be found just around the corner, but if students need to take a plane or train to find them, the advantages heavily outweigh the risks.

It’s always a significant moment for every high school student when the time comes to make a decision on what college they want to attend or if they want to attend college at all. 

One of the major factors for students who do choose to go to college is where exactly they want to go — specifically whether they want to go in state or out of state. 

While every student’s decision is unique to his or her own situation, staying in state has many advantages. 

Unless a graduate’s chosen profession or field requires an education in a different location, as can be the case with international studies, then it is not really necessary to go out of state. 

Staying in state allows for more convenience because it is closer to home. It makes it easier to visit home or even stay at home, which could allow for saving money, as there is no need to stay in a dorm. 

The cost of attending school near home can also be lower because students won’t have the cost of traveling home, such as spending money on airplane flights or long car trips.

Most professions can be pursued almost anywhere in the country, so there really isn’t a strong need to go far for a degree. Getting an education close to home can make it easier to get a job near home, because students don’t have to travel back home from out-of-state colleges, which also saves money in the long haul. 

Some students decide to live where they get their education, as they have already started to settle down and look for jobs around graduation time. 

Another factor that convinces students to stay near home is the adjustment to new college life, whether it be new people, new routines, or new surroundings. By staying in state there is a higher chance that multiple students from the same high school will attend the same college.  This familiarity can make it easier to adjust to college life. 

If family and friends are close by, facing emergencies or loneliness can also be easier.