Best Car Insurance for Students 2024

For student car insurance, GEICO offers the best mix of affordability and quality service. State Farm stands out for its customer care and unique young driver offerings, like its Steer Clear program. Allstate is MoneyGeek's top pick for tech-savvy features, like a robust mobile app and telematics. USAA is unmatched for students in military families.

Students can save on car insurance through good student discounts, distant student discounts or staying on their parents' policy. But, if you do want to remain on your family plan, know that you might need your own policy if you have a new permanent address or if the car is registered solely in your name.

Whether you're a high school student getting behind the wheel for the first time or a college student, GEICO is MoneyGeek's top pick for an auto insurance provider:

• MoneyGeek score: 84 out of 100
• Premium when added to a family policy: $2,431 yearly
• Premium on an individual policy: $3,594 yearly

This reflects rates for an 18-year-old driver with a full coverage policy.

Travelers and Nationwide also rank well for student car insurance. We chose GEICO because it ranks first for 16 to 18-year-old drivers and second for 19 to 21-year-olds.

When choosing car insurance, students should consider their driving habits, car age and where they park. Opt for liability-only if you have an older car, collision coverage if you're prone to accidents and comprehensive coverage for weather-related risks or theft. For new drivers, consider adding accident forgiveness coverage to avoid rate hikes after a first at-fault accident and telematics insurance to lower costs based on safe driving habits.

To view sample rates and identify the best car insurance company tailored to your age, toggle the filter in the table below.

USAA offers the best student car insurance for military students.

• Premium when added to a family policy: $1,742 yearly
• Premium on an individual policy: $2,119 yearly

The carrier offers the lowest rates for students 16 to 21 years old.

USAA exclusively serves active-duty military members, veterans and their families, allowing the company to tailor its services to meet the unique needs of its members. The insurer consistently offers the lowest rates and excels in customer service and quality. Members also enjoy exclusive USAA perks, like discounts for online shopping and car maintenance, adding extra value to their experience.

State Farm is the best provider for students for customer service:

• Customer service score: 3.93 out of 5
• Premium when added to a family policy: $2,716 yearly
• Premium on an individual policy: $2,966 yearly

Good customer service in a car insurance company is essential, especially for new drivers. A company with excellent customer service can guide you through the complexities of policies, answer your questions promptly and help make stressful situations more manageable, allowing you to get back on the road faster.

State Farm stands out not only for its broad range of discounts for student drivers. One of its unique offerings is the distant student discount, which caters to students under 25. While student-specific discounts are a highlight, students can also take advantage of safe driver discounts or pay-in-full discounts, further reducing their premiums.

If you’re a student who values tech-savvy convenience, some insurance companies offer mobile apps for streamlined policy management and claims filing. Additionally, some insurers have safety driving apps that monitor your habits on the road, offering potential savings for responsible behavior. Allstate stands out as MoneyGeek's top pick for tech insurance policies because of its robust mobile app and money-saving telematics program.

The average cost of a full coverage policy for a 16-year-old driver is $3,249 on a family policy and $5,870 on an individual policy. On the other hand, a young driver aged 21 typically pays $2,033 on a family policy and $2,171 on an individual policy for the same coverage.

Age plays a significant role in determining your car insurance premiums. Insurers often see teen drivers as high-risk, leading to more expensive rates. However, a MoneyGeek study examining what age car insurance goes down revealed that you don't have to wait until you're 25 for more affordable premiums. In fact, your rates start to decrease from the year you begin driving.

The table below illustrates the average cost of insurance by age, showing a consistent decline in rates each year.

Our research found that GEICO offers the most favorable rates for students, while other insurers may charge students higher premiums. It's worth noting that insurance companies use different algorithms to calculate premiums. While age is a key factor, it's not the only one that influences the cost of your policy. Other variables like your driving record, insurance history, location and credit-based insurance score can also impact your rates. Although you can't change your age, you can focus on maintaining a clean driving record and being a responsible payer to help lower your insurance costs.

Insurance companies offer a range of student car insurance discounts to reward good academic performance, safe driving behavior and specific student circumstances, like living far from school. To connect you with companies that offer opportunities for savings, MoneyGeek outlined the student discounts available from five major insurers in the table below.

Student drivers pay high rates for car insurance, but insurance providers offer many discounts to help offset high premiums. As a student driver, you can stack multiple car insurance discounts to lower your rates. Even paying your annual premium in full can bring down costs.

Students can often stay on their parents' car insurance policy if their primary residence is still their family home, they're studying far from home or they only drive when visiting home. However, they'll likely need their own policy if they've established a new permanent address, own a car registered solely in their name, or attend school in an area with high insurance rates.

Different car insurance options cater to student needs. For example, liability-only is cost-effective for older cars, while collision coverage is critical for accident-prone young drivers. MoneyGeek explored when these and other coverages are best suited to students in the table below.

Finding the best car insurance for students can be a balancing act between cost and coverage. MoneyGeek aims to answer your most pressing questions about high-quality auto insurance policies for students, helping you make an informed decision that suits your needs as a student driver.