What is the cheapest way to move to college?

Need an inexpensive way to get stuff to an out-of-state college? 

If you’re looking to keep expenses as low as possible when going away to college, it’s a good idea to compare options for moving belongings to campus. Keep reading to learn different ways to get things to school and how U-Pack® is a budget-friendly fit for student moving. 

Male student deciding on the cheapest way to move to college with laptop, pen and paper.

 

Cheap ways to move to campus 

When it comes to moving things to campus, students usually pick one of the following ways: 

  • DIY moving service. The easiest, most affordable option for long-distance college moving is a service like U-Pack. With U-Pack, you can load the moving equipment without having to worry about the weight of everything and have it delivered right to your building.
  • Personal car. If you’re going to college close to home, getting things there easily might mean loading a personal car for the trip. This isn’t always practical when moving far away because a car may not hold everything, and you might be uncomfortable making the long drive alone.
  • Parcel shipping. You could use a parcel service like UPS®, FedEx® or USPS® to ship items to campus, but it can get pricey if you have a lot of things because rates are based on size and weight of the boxes. Plus, some dorms might not accept package deliveries. 
  • Rental truck. Rental trucks can be useful to move things if you don’t mind driving a bulky vehicle on campus. But keep in mind that trucks typically get less gas mileage than regular cars, so this can get expensive fast with long distances since you’ll need to pay for fuel. 
     

How is U-Pack best for cheap college shipping? 

U-Pack rates include liability coverage and fuel, so we’re often cheaper than other DIY moving options, and the best part is you don’t have to drive all your stuff! The most popular solution for students is the 6’ x 7’ x 8’ metal ReloCube® moving container, which fits in a standard parking space. Since Cubes are designed to hold belongings for one room or a studio apartment, they’re perfect for students moving to a dorm, going home for the summer or relocating for a career after graduation.  

Learn more about student moving with U-Pack

How else can I save money with my U-Pack college move? 

Here are a few ways to make the move even cheaper: 

Use a discount code 

U-Pack offers a student discount — just let us know or enter the code CAMPUS 50 when making an online reservation. You can also save an additional $25 just for booking online (this discount will automatically apply to the reservation).

Load, unload or store at a service center  

The cheapest move with U-Pack involves loading or unloading (or both) at a local service center. While it’s a little extra work, with small moves to college, it can be worth it for the savings. If you need a little extra time before moving into a dorm or apartment, we can store your belongings at one of our service centers (where available), right in the ReloCube. Then, we’ll deliver it when you’re ready to move in. 

Change the move date, if possible 

Check with the Residence Life office at your school to see if move-in dates are flexible. Sometimes, choosing a weekday can lower the cost. A U-Pack moving consultant can help find the cheapest date to move during your timeframe. 

Move with a friend

If you and a friend are moving to the same college cut moving costs in half by splitting the bill. Work out the details with your friend to share the ReloCube by loading and unloading together at the same place or at a local service center to unlock the most significant savings. * 

*U-Pack ReloCubes can only be reserved for delivery to one location for loading and one location for unloading. 

Check our rates today 

Request a free quote for your student move online or give us a call at 844-362-5303844-594-3077 to speak to one of our moving consultants.