How Inadequate Transit Harms College Students

A lack of access to affordable and reliable transit is being cited as a major reason why many college students don't finish school.

2 minute read

December 15, 2021, 12:00 PM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


"At a time when colleges are increasingly focused on how to get and keep students enrolled and on a path to a degree, some of the most surprising challenges are not academic but logistical," writes Charlotte West. One of these challenges: affordable, reliable transportation.

With the majority of U.S. college students commuting to class, transportation can make a crucial difference for millions who cannot access or afford transit services. One study found that "Hispanic students were 19 percent more likely to report transportation problems as creating a barrier to college completion than non-Hispanics." Lack of access to transportation can lead students to miss classes and fall behind, while expensive car repairs and transportation costs can put students in even deeper debt.

In response, some colleges and cities have launched programs that provide low-cost or free transit passes and bring education closer to students with satellite campuses located near transit, sometimes funded with COVID-19 relief funds. 

Rural students face their own set of challenges as they're often reliant on personal transportation in regions with sparse public transportation services. In these cases, colleges can help students by providing their own shuttle services or grants to help students pay for car repairs. According to research cited in the article, supporting effective and affordable transportation for students can have a positive impact on students' chances to stay enrolled and graduate, while advocates of fare-free transit argue that eliminating fares would increase equity and bring more people closer to economic opportunities and urban amenities.

Friday, December 10, 2021 in The Washington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Flat modern glass office tower with "County of Santa Clara" sign.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing

The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

2 hours ago - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of dense urban center with lines indicating smart city concept.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant

A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

3 hours ago - Governing

Pale yellow Sears kit house with red tile roof in Sylva, North Carolina.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing

Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.

4 hours ago - The Daily Yonder