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Universities Where the Most Students Bring Cars to Campus

By U.S. News & World Report

The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or graduate school search.

Some college campuses are more walkable than others, so the convenience of having a car on campus varies.

Among the 215 ranked National Universities that submitted these data to U.S. News in an annual survey, Wayne State University in Michigan topped the list of schools where the most students had cars on campus for the 2015-2016 school year at 98 percent.

[Discover five things to consider before bringing a car to college.]

At Wayne State, which also had the largest percentage in the previous version of this list, 88 percent of students lived off campus. The school is once again followed by Mississippi State University and Spalding University in Kentucky, where 95 percent of students brought cars. The University of West Georgia — also at 95 percent for 2015-2016 — didn’t appear on last year’s list.

Falling on the opposite end of the spectrum were schools such as Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., which reported zero percent of students had cars on campus in 2015-2016, U.S. News data show. The school doesn’t provide any on-campus parking for undergrads, according to its website.

Meanwhile, the average proportion of students with cars on campus among the 14 schools on the list was almost 93 percent, significantly higher than the average among all the National Universities that submitted these data, which was around 48 percent.

No school on the list ranked higher than a tie at No. 152 in U.S. News’ 2017 Best National Universities rankings. Among the universities on the list, Immaculata University in Pennsylvania had both the highest rank and lowest total enrollment. Enrollment data for Spalding University were not available.

[Explore the benefits and drawbacks of living at home during college.]

Half of the schools where the most students brought cars are designated as Rank Not Published, or RNP, which means they fell in the bottom one-fourth of the ranking category. U.S. News calculates rank s for these schools but has decided not to publish them.

Below are the 14 schools where the largest percentage of students had cars on campus during the 2015-2016 school year. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.

National University (state) Total enrollment Percentage of all students who had cars on campus U.S. News rank
Wayne State University (MI) 27,222 98 RNP
Mississippi State University 20,873 95 176 (tie)
Spalding University (KY) N/A 95 RNP
University of West Georgia 12,834 95 RNP
California State University–Fullerton 38,948 94 202 (tie)
University of Missouri–Kansas City 16,699 94 210 (tie)
University of South Dakota 9,971 94 202 (tie)
University of Memphis (TN) 20,585 91 RNP
Boise State University (ID) 22,113 90 RNP
Dallas Baptist University 5,319 90 214 (tie)
Immaculata University (PA) 2,961 90 152 (tie)
Oakland University (MI) 20,261 90 RNP
University of Arkansas–Little Rock 11,891 90 RNP
University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth 8,916 90 220 (tie)

Don’t see your school on this list? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find data on cars, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.

U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2016 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News’ rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The car data above are correct as of Oct. 11, 2016.

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Universities Where the Most Students Bring Cars to Campus originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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