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Cheapest Car Insurance for High School Students (May 2022)
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4.8out of 3,000+ reviews
Edited by Jackie Cohen | Reviewed by licensed insurance agent, Jenny Beeler
Last Updated May 10, 2022
It’s no secret that finding cheap car insurance coverage for teenage high school students is difficult. But it can be done. All you need is a little know-how and a simple online tool to consistently find the lowest rate available to you. This article covers the best car insurance companies for high schoolers.
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We compared thousands of real auto insurance quotes offered to high school drivers across the country. Analyzing these quotes, we’ve uncovered which companies consistently provide the lowest rate overall. Below is our list of the five best car insurance companies to get cheap rates for high school students.
Insurance Company | Cheapest Monthly Quote |
---|---|
Clearcover | $138 |
National General | $139 |
Elephant | $154 |
Travelers | $160 |
Kemper | $177 |
SafeAuto | $195 |
Commonwealth Casualty | $220 |
Bristol West | $222 |
Nationwide | $229 |
Dairyland | $231 |
Mercury | $234 |
Liberty Mutual | $240 |
The General | $256 |
Infinity | $342 |
See More: Best Car Insurance Companies
Since young drivers lack driving experience, they are more prone to accidents. This is reflected in a higher average monthly cost of car insurance. On average though, young male drivers could pay more than young female drivers for auto insurance, except in states where companies are prohibited from considering gender in quoting practices.
When analyzing car insurance rates by age, teenagers pay way more on average, regardless of gender. The good news is that college students tend to pay less than high schoolers of the same age, so lower car insurance premiums is something else to look forward to after graduation.
Students in high school see high insurance premiums because teen drivers are inexperienced and likely to get into accidents. High school students can expect to pay over $100 per month for car insurance.
The big question when adding a high school student to your auto insurance policy is “How much will it cost?” That depends. The cost of insuring high school students depends on several factors, including your location, coverage options, and applicable insurance discounts. On average, though, adding a high schooler to a policy costs around $250 a month.
High school-aged drivers can lower their rates by opting for liability coverage only. Discount programs through car insurance companies is the best way to help lower monthly rates for high school students. Comparing car insurance quotes from multiple insurers is the best way to ensure high schoolers have found the lowest rate possible.
Clearcover is a relatively new insurance company that uses AI technology to keep rates low. It offers an easy-to-use website and a well-designed mobile app to make managing your policy super simple. As of this writing, Clearcover only offers car insurance. Clearcover is currently available to drivers in about a dozen states.
A few of the discounts that Clearcover offers to high school student drivers include:
National General is known for specializing in insuring high-risk drivers - drivers with a history of car accidents, DUIs, and more. However, good drivers and new drivers can still get low rates with this company, so don’t overlook them. National General offers policies in all 50 states.
A few of the discounts that National General offers to high school student drivers include:
Elephant is a smaller insurance company. It directly writes auto insurance policies but sells other types of policies like home and renters insurance from different insurance companies. That means that customers can still access bundling discounts. Elephant is currently available in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
A few of the discounts that Elephant offers to high school student drivers include:
Travelers is one of the oldest insurance companies in the country. It offers a wide range of insurance and financial products, and it also offers low rates. Travelers is an excellent company for parents with high school drivers, as it provides many bundling opportunities to keep costs down. Plus, it offers the best discounts for full-time students.
A few of the discounts that Travelers offers to high school student drivers include:
Here’s another car insurance company that specializes in high-risk drivers. Direct Auto offers several types of property insurance and even life insurance, which means that parents can access bundling discounts when using Direct Auto. The company also provides a great website where customers can manage their policies and claims.
A few of the discounts that Direct Auto offers to high school student drivers include:
Are you looking to lower your rate? Take advantage of discounts. Yes, even teenage drivers will have access to discounts, which can reduce rates by as much as 20 percent! Below are the most advantageous discounts typically available to high school drivers.
Discounts for High School Students | How to Get It | Companies That Offer It |
---|---|---|
Good Student Discount | If you or your student keeps up good grades, you can get a great discount of 5 to 20 percent, depending on the carrier, for a B average GPA or better. | Allstate, American Family, Country Financial, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive, State Farm, Travelers |
Distant Student Discount | Student away at boarding school and only driving while at home? You can get a discount for that. | Allstate, Farmers, Progressive, State Farm, Safeco, USAA |
Telematics Programs | Are you a good driver? Prove it with a telematics program. Using a mobile app or plug-in device allows your insurer to monitor your driving habits. The better you drive, the better the discount. | Allstate, American Family, Esurance, Farmers, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, Metromile, Nationwide, Noblr, Progressive, Root Car Insurance, State Farm, USAA |
Driver Education | Complete a carrier-approved driver education class - like a defensive driver course - and get up to 20 percent off. Classes typically cost $20 to $50 and have the added advantage of making your | AAA, Allstate, American Family, Farmers, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, Foremost Signature, Nationwide, State Farm, Travelers, USAA |
Discounts aren’t the only way to lower your rate! You can lower it by adjusting your policy, choosing a safe vehicle for your high school student drivers, and maintaining an excellent driving and financial record. Speaking of financial housekeeping, adding a straightforward task to your to-do list every six months can save you hundreds of dollars a year with minimal effort.
That minimal task? Shopping for car insurance before you buy and at least every six months is the easiest way to get cheap car insurance. Free online quote-comparison tools like Insurify can make this process easy and painless.
If you have the option, stay on your parents’ insurance policy. This is usually cheaper than getting your own car insurance policy. Your parents will have access to more discounts; plus, they’ll have better-established credit. And, if you are only added to an older vehicle, it won’t cost much to add you.
Speaking of older vehicles, did you know that there are many benefits to driving one? Policies are usually cheaper, especially if you forgo collision and comprehensive or full-coverage car insurance. There are hundreds of safe and reliable older models to choose from.
An easy way to lower your rate is by raising your deductible. The deductible is what you pay out of pocket in the event of a claim: the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium. Just don’t raise it higher than what you can reasonably afford.
You’ll need to comply with state minimum coverage limits. This can consist of bodily injury liability coverage, property damage liability coverage, and uninsured or underinsured motorist protection. Whenever possible, high schoolers should forgo additional coverage.
Traffic violations, accidents, and other driving violations can cost you big time - thousands for the worst offenses. Obey traffic rules, drive defensively, and never drive under the influence. Following this advice ensures low auto insurance rates now and in the future. Drivers with clean records benefit from the lowest car insurance rates.
While high schoolers tend not to have a credit score, building and maintaining good credit allows you to access lower rates in most states. A great way to build credit is to have a parent or guardian add you to a credit account, like a credit card. Drivers with good credit benefit from lower car insurance rates.
Cash in on all the car insurance discounts you might be eligible for. Some might include:
See More: Cheap Car Insurance
Your location is one of the largest factors in determining what you pay for car insurance. High school student drivers who live in the following states will get the lowest car insurance rates overall:
See More: Car Insurance Quotes
There are still ways to save if you’re looking for cheap car insurance for your high school student. First, you should set up your policy for low rates - forgo comprehensive and collision coverage by having the high schooler drive an older, safe car. Next, you should consider which discounts are within reach and ensure your car insurance provider offers those discounts.
Finally, use comparison-shopping to get the lowest rate available. This is easy when you use Insurify to compare car insurance rates from top insurers in your area. With our tool, you can adjust insurance options, explore the benefits and drawbacks of each company, and set up notifications to receive an email any time a lower rate is available.
That depends on where you live, what discounts you qualify for, and how you set up your insurance policy. For liability-only coverage on an older vehicle, you may access rates around $100 a month. But most high school drivers should expect to pay monthly premiums of $140 to $250.
Pay attention to discount programs - don’t be afraid to speak with your insurance agent about discounts you qualify for and tips for setting up low-cost coverage. Also, teenagers have a better shot at saving on car insurance when they compare quotes from multiple insurance companies. Insurify makes comparing quotes easy it’s easy to use, free comparison tool.
Safe drivers pay much less than the average driver, while drivers with a spotty record can pay hundreds more each year. Maintaining a clean driving record is the easiest way to keep rates low; plus, you’ll be able to access good driver discounts. You can become a safer driver by completing a driving course - which can also get you a steep driver training discount right away.
The car insurance quotes displayed are based on an analysis of Insurify’s database of over 40 million quotes from 500 ZIP codes nationwide. To obtain representative rates, Insurify’s data science team performs frequent comprehensive analyses of the factors car insurance providers weigh to calculate rates including driver demographics, driving record, credit score, desired coverage level, and more.
Insurify’s analysis also incorporates the Insurify Composite Score (ICS) assigned to each insurance provider. The ICS is a proprietary rating that weighs multiple factors reflecting the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Ratings used to calculate the ICS include Financial Strength Ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings; Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints; mobile app reviews; and user-generated company reviews.
With the above insights and ranking methods, Insurify is able to offer car insurance shoppers insight into how various insurance providers compare to one another in terms of both cost and quality. Note, actual quotes will vary based on unique attributes including the policyholder’s driver history and their garaging address.