Commuter student experiences are largely overlooked in the student development theory base. The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe how upper-division college students at a primarily non-residential urban institution achieve academic success. The data from the study was drawn from the California State University, Long Beach Student Development and Success Study.

Using methods drawn from grounded theory, Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model of Human Development was an organizing framework for describing how the 14 women in the sample navigated systems with competing demands. The women in the study achieved success by maintaining balance across the different areas of their lives.

This study represents one iteration of data analysis for an ongoing study using grounded theory methodology to generate theory related to commuter student development. Future research may delve into how issues of gender, age, or transfer status may change the students' multisystems dynamics.