Transferring to a new college

So, soon enough I will have enough units to transfer to a four year university and I am trying to figure out what university I should transfer too. There is a four year university in my home town and if I went there I would save quite a bit of money but I don't know if I would be happy at this university. There are three other universities that I am thinking of transferring too but if I did so I would spend a great deal more money due to having to live in the dorms or finding another place to live etc. I realize that there are ways that I could finance this and I have been looking into it such as Stafford loans and other financial aid but I still might need to take out private loans.

I am planning on getting my Ph'D so this four year university is just one step in that direction. I guess there is a part of me that feels like staying in my home town would be the smart thing to do but I am not sure if it is the right thing to do. I feel like I am at a standstill here and as though I need to get out. I know there are no guarantees in regards to moving away but I also feel like these other universities would help me broaden my horizons whereas the university in my home town will not. However, I don't know if it is worth it especially when I will, most likely, transfer, somewhere as soon as I am able to do my graduate work.

This is something that has been on my mind for awhile and while I know no one can tell me what to do thoughts, suggestions etc would be greatly appreciated. I don't really have any family I can talk to about it because none of them are all that receptive.

[Kate*]

As a graduate student who will graduate with more debt than I originally intended, I have to suggest staying home for now, especially if you plan to be in school for awhile. For the sake of your financial sanity save what you can now because eventually you will have to pay it back and graduate school is more expensive than undergrad (both masters and doctorate). Also, you're not as eligible for the subsidized loans and you'll have to take the unsubsidized. Take as few loans as possible. I'm not going to talk you out of a PhD if that's what you want, but I was going to get one until I realized I could do what I wanted with just a masters which will save me a lot of time and money.

[Always *]

That's a tough call. I think that for me it was an easy choice; the idea of having to stay in my hometown alone would have killed me, literally, it would have genuinely ruined me. And I am not saying that as some resentful kid who hates their town; it just wasn't a healthy place for me to be. Now on the flip side I was also in a position where moving wasn't going to incur ridiculous debt nor was NOT moving really a problem since I lived in an ity bity college without a "real" college campus (there is a tiny campus that offers a few things but nothing I was interested in). So I mean, I can see moving where you really have no choice.
But on the other hand if you know you want a PhD, maybe it would be worth saving the money now in your undergraduate work and moving for your graduate work. Because graduate work is so expensive the debt from that alone is likely to be pretty hefty.
What I want to ask is this: Will whatever you get your PhD in give you a good enough job to allow you to pay back any debt easily? Does the prestige of your school really matter in the field you are interested in or is the work you conduct going to be what really matters? Have you looked into the schools you're interested in and see what kind of grad programs they have since a lot of schools are likely to want to accept some of their own students for a masters/PhD? And if you decide to stay close to home to save the money will you end up hating it so much that you won't even continue on with school to your PhD just to be done with having to be stuck there?
I think though you have to consider what is good for you