Many senior students make the hard decision in their year to decide if they should leave the state or stay in-state. Students tend to choose in-state for one of the biggest reasons. Cost. College is extremely expensive, and going out-of-state isn’t going to save them any money. 

Another reason that in-state may be a better option for kids is that they are closer to home. Oregon State University is about an hour drive away from Wilsonville. So if you want to come home on the weekends, visit family, or do some laundry, you have that option. 

Transportation won’t cost you anything whereas out-of-state you would most likely have to fly home. When you are in-state you can just drive your car back and forth.

Some kids enjoy staying in Oregon for its beauty. Lots of people love how there is no sales tax, the beautiful trees and weather, as well as the mountains and waterfalls. 

 A senior, Kari Vike, says her opinion on going to college in-state “I chose University of Oregon because I didn’t want to have to take a plane to come home. I want to be close enough to my family for emergencies, but still have some space. U of O was also the cheapest option for me and made more sense financially. My entire family has gone to U of O and with it being only 2 hours away, I have been able to visit it lots.”

In-state is the best option to choose for students financially, and the closest to home. If you are looking for some better weather and a change of scenery, it may be a good consideration.

College is a monumental piece to the puzzle of your life. Where you go to college can decide so much about the course of your future. So picking where you want to go is super important. 

The debate to go in school versus out of school has always been a prevalent one. In my opinion, going to college out of state is the way to go. 

Going out-of-state for college has many benefits: new location, a fresh start and it really opens up your options for college choices. There are also logistical, financial and emotional consequences if leaving your home state isn’t a good fit for you.

There are so many positives! You’ll be able to explore a new area and get outside your comfort zone and at the same time, meet more people from different backgrounds and be more incentivized to make new friends. You’ll have more independence and get a feel for what it’s like to live on your own. There are also TONS of choices! If you’re open to attending college out of state, you’ll have a huge range of different types of schools to choose from and won’t be limited by what your state offers.

Karina Borgen, Senior, top choice right now at Syracuse University in New York. She says, “Syracuse is an awesome school with one of the best programs for the degree I want. Meeting new people and living on a different side of the country would be such an adventure. But, obviously if I went to school here in Eugene at University of Oregon, my bed is just a 45 minute drive away, versus 2000+ miles.”

Out-of-state schools may be right for you if you’re looking for new experiences and some distance from your hometown. If you think you want to attend school out of state, you’ll have a huge variety of colleges to choose from that each possess many different qualities that may make or break your experience. Depending on how important cost and proximity to your hometown are for you, you may or may not decide that out-of-state schools are the best choice.So get started researching schools now so that you can start narrowing down your options!