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!