AN EXPLORATORY SURVEY INVESTIGATED THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCES AMONG COMMUTING STUDENTS, ATTENDING THREE TYPES OF INSTITUTIONS TO COMPARE COLLEGE EXPERIENCES BETWEEN COMMUTING AND RESIDENT STUDENTS. STUDENTS SELECTED FOR STUDY WERE (1) 100 COMMUTERS FROM A LARGE, PRIMARILY RESIDENT UNIVERSITY, (2) 100 COMMUTERS FROM A COMMUNITY COLLEGE WITH NO RESIDENT STUDENTS, (3) 87 COMMUTERS FROM A MUNICIPAL UNIVERSITY ENROLLING A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF COMMUTERS, AND (4) 100 RESIDENT STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SAME UNIVERSITY AS THE FIRST GROUP. THE STUDY WAS LIMITED TO FIRST-TIME FRESHMEN WHO WERE UNDER AGE 21, SINGLE, CARRYING A STUDY PROGRAM OF 12 UNITS OR MORE, AND, IF COMMUTING, LIVING WITH PARENTS. ACROSS-GROUP MATCHINGS WERE MADE, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, ON ESTABLISHED ABILITY LEVELS, DISTANCES OF RESIDENCE FROM COLLEGE, MAJOR CURRICULUM GROUPINGS, AND SEX. A SPECIAL QUESTIONNAIRE WAS USED TO GATHER DATA ON SUCH MATTERS AS ATTENDANCE AT CULTURAL EVENTS, EDUCATIONAL GOALS, MEMBERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION IN STUDENT GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES, FRIENDSHIP AND DATING PATTERNS, HOURS OF WORK, INCOME, AND EXPENDITURES. DATA ON GRADES AND CREDITS WERE GATHERED FROM COLLEGE RECORDS. THE FINDINGS SHOWED SOME EVIDENCE THAT THE COMMUTING FRESHMEN, PARTICULARLY IF HE ATTENDS A LARGE RESIDENT INSTITUTION, MAY BE SLOW IN HIS SOCIAL CONTACT WITH OTHER STUDENTS. A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE COMMUTERS EXPRESSED NO DISAPPOINTMENT IN COLLEGE, MAKING NO COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS WHEN INVITED TO DO SO. COMMUTING APPEARED TO HAVE NO EFFECT ON PERFORMANCE OR PERSISTENCE PATTERNS. (JH)