Students express frustration regarding travel costs and a struggle to participate in university life whilst commuting.
In February 2026, The Glasgow Guardian conducted a survey into the experiences of students who commute to the University of Glasgow to find out how they felt about the university experience as a commuting student.
Overall, the results show that although most don’t find the commute to the University to be difficult, commuting students face difficulties regarding the costs of travel and participation in the social life of the University.
All surveyed respondents highlighted that they came from outside of the Glasgow City region, with the commute taking between 1-2 hours for over 75% of respondents. Most respondents also stated that they came from a widening participation (WP) background, which includes students who are care-experienced, estranged from family, from an SIMD 1-4 area, or seeking asylum in the UK. For this student cohort, commuting is perceived as a more viable, cost-effective option; however, long travel times and increasing travel costs can impact them.
Over 75% of respondents agreed that they faced difficulties with the cost of travel to the University – this would include the costs of train and Subway tickets, and bus tickets if they are over the age of 22. Respondents were evenly split on whether commuting interfered with their studies, as making the time to commute between home and university can leave commuters with less time to study, and issues during commutes may hinder them from attending classes.
Over 75% of respondents did not feel included in university life and expressed difficulty in participating in societies and events around the university because of their commute and the timing of society events.
This survey comes after the Scottish Government passed a bill in 2025 to scrap peak rail fares on ScotRail trains, reducing the cost of travel during peak times. It also comes as the Scottish Government is scrutinising legislation that will give the Government the power to revoke concessionary passes for anyone who misbehaves on public transport.
