My D goes to the in-state flagship in town and the bus ride is less than 20 min, however, we let her stayed in the dorm for 2 years and then moved to an apartment near campus with her friends afterward. We are totally supportive in that for several reasons.
- Group projects and even exams are often scheduled in the evening which may finish after the bus service ended. It is not only inconvenience but could be danger too.
- College is the time and place to learn independence. We expect our daughter to move to another city to work after graduation. This would be a good transition time to live away from home.
- Learning to live with other people is an essential maturation process.
- When I looked back, my best friends are from college and we did spend a lot of time together after class and in the late evening. Those commute students in my class are not as close and I have lost contact of most of them.