Actually, room/board isn't all that much compared to the rate of tuition. Currently I'm paying around 2500ish for my room and 1500 for my meal plan.
The tuition is the shitty part. Even with reduced rate for being in-state it still is going to cost me around 13,000 dollars.
I don't know about other places, but in my general area (US east coast) that's about typical for room/board. I looked for schools all up and down the coast. Though, it is possible for it to be more by you I suppose. Unless of course you're talking over a period of years, where infact yes, it is that much. But it's so much better to live at the school than to live with your parents.
My school is practically a commuter school, 60% of people commute to school. But they really are missing out on the real college (University) experience.