Assuming that you're going to a 4 year college, you could buy a primary residence for 5% down and rent out bedrooms to roommates and live rent free while paying down your loan over that duration.

Does the house have a suite or could you rent a room to decrease your living costs (the latter depends on if you'd want a roommate and not everyone does).

Or roommates per se.

Move In (with roommates).

I agree with the strategy of owning a property that you can partially rent out, but If you aren't willing to sublet a room and have tenant roommates, you'll need much bigger pockets or move up the valley for a property with a legal suite to rent out.

She is the only one on the lease and has a roommate, but wants to move to another city by September 1st.

Either way, I want to eventually house hack, just the question is should I buy my own house first or live in a house with roommates/another unit? 

One of my units is a 3bd w/ 2 female roommates currently occupying. 

I have a friend who had a tenet that moved out but had a roommate that was not on the lease.

The lease agreement was month-to-month and was never renewed the caveat is that he had roommates move in some time between his tenancy there, which were never added on the lease agreement.