It could be cheaper, but you're probably lengthening your commute. You'd probably spend bout $10-15 more each day on commuting, from train or bus tickets. The commute could be anywhere between twenty minutes to an hour. You can look into towns like Montclair, Union City, Hoboken, Jersey City, Fort Lee, and Newark. I know people in NJ who do commute to schools in NYC; it's manageable. But a lot of people go to schools in New York City to experience the city, and you won't really be able to do that as much living in New Jersey. Also, it's difficult to live in New Jersey without a car, unless you live in certain downtown areas. If you have any questions, let me know!