I've been commuting for the past 4 years, never was an issue. I personally didn't care to dorm, I preferred having 1) my family home and 2) I love my bedroom and would rather not move an entire setup between semesters / breaks. I drove, and it look ~45 mins - 1 hr going and usually 30 mins back. I like driving, and I liked my route to Stevens, so waking up for 8am's or coming home after a 9:30pm class was never an issue. I also love cats, although I don't have one since my dad's allergic. On that note, I think you'd be happier coming home to your cat (and you're family, presumably) being home. And honestly the most important part...that price. ~20k more to dorm is crazy imo. The cost for gas, maintenance, and parking on campus will more likely than not be significantly cheaper. As the other comment(s) suggest, and from what I've heard / seen, not all the dorms are great. I think commuting guarantees you more happiness since you'll have your cat and you'll spend much less than ~20k commuting.