More young people are considering living with their families while studying as the cost of accommodation and everyday university life becomes an increasingly important factor in deciding where to study.
The traditional image of university life — leaving home, moving into student halls and living independently for the first time — may be changing for a growing number of students.
New UCAS data shows that 44.6% of UK 18-year-old applicants for 2026 made at least one university choice where they indicated that they intended to live at home, up from 43.2% last year.
Separate UCAS figures examining students who actually secured places in 2025 found that 89,510 UK 18-year-olds intended to remain at home while studying, up 7% from 83,705 the previous year.
That represented 31% of accepted UK 18-year-old applicants, compared with 30% in 2024 and just 22% a decade earlier.
The figures suggest that commuting to university from the family home is becoming an increasingly established part of student life.
Cost is becoming part of the university decision
Where to study has always involved choices about courses, universities and locations, but finances are increasingly part of that calculation.
UCAS research published this summer found that fewer than one in three prospective students — 29% — felt informed about how much money they would need to support themselves at university.
Almost two thirds, 64%, had looked for information about accommodation costs before applying, while only 10% said they were not expecting to work or earn money during term time.
For students living within travelling distance of a university, staying at home can remove or substantially reduce one of the biggest expenses associated with higher education: accommodation.
It can also mean continuing to share household costs, avoiding deposits and some utility bills, and remaining close to existing family and support networks.
But it may involve other costs, including commuting, and can create a different university experience from that of students living in halls or shared accommodation.
Big differences between students
The likelihood of living at home also varies considerably according to students' backgrounds.
Among UK 18-year-olds who secured places in 2025, 52% of those from the most disadvantaged areas indicated that they planned to live at home, compared with just 17.9% of students from the most advantaged areas.
There were also substantial differences across the UK.
In Scotland, 46% of accepted Scottish 18-year-old applicants planned to live at home, while in Wales the proportion was 21%.
The figures highlight how the ability to move away for university is not necessarily the same for every student.
For some, remaining at home is a positive choice that allows them to save money and stay close to family. For others, financial pressures may limit how far from home they feel able to consider studying.
Students increasingly thinking about the real cost of university
UCAS has responded to growing concerns about living costs by introducing a budgeting tool that allows applicants to compare estimated student expenses in more than 100 UK locations.
The calculator uses real-world student spending information to show likely costs for accommodation, food, bills, transport and other everyday expenses.
Among students who had used the tool, 63% said it made them feel more confident about planning for their living costs.
UCAS Chief Executive Dr Jo Saxton has said that decisions about whether and where to study can come with significant financial and personal pressures, and that students need access to better information when considering their options.
Is the university experience changing?
Record numbers of UK 18-year-olds secured university and college places following Results Day this year, with 262,820 accepted — 3% more than at the same stage in 2025.
But while demand for higher education remains strong, the way students experience university could be changing.
For decades, moving away from home has been treated almost as a rite of passage for many students.
The growth in students considering universities within commuting distance suggests that future student life may increasingly include a mixture of those living on campus, those renting privately and those travelling in from the family home.
For students currently choosing between courses through Clearing, accommodation and living costs could therefore be just as important as league tables or nightlife when deciding where to spend the next three or four years.
And with almost half of UK 18-year-old applicants now considering living at home for at least one of their university choices, the commuter student is becoming an increasingly important part of Britain's university population.
Sources: UCAS 2025 End of Cycle data; UCAS 2026 applicant figures; UCAS Student Finance Research 2026.