When Cameron Hurta brought his truck with him to college, he knew it might be a bit of a hassle. Hurta studied at Texas A&M University. When he was enrolled, it was the largest university in the country in terms of campus-attending students, which made finding parking a challenge. “Combined with the small-city infrastructure of College Station, the student’s population size also fomented large traffic jams on the two main roads into the university,” Hurta said.
Hurta initially brought his car for the freedom to drive to nearby Houston and Austin. He’s not alone; of the nearly 20 million students enrolled in college in 2018, around half brought their cars with them to school. But, when weighing whether to bring a car to college, there’s more to consider than just whether you can use it for a weekend trip. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team is here with a 101 course on what college students with cars need to know.
Is it worth bringing a car to college?
There’s no right answer for everyone — it will depend on your personal circumstances. A large part of those circumstances will be financial. Consider these costs:
- Gas: According to AAA, the national average cost of gas is $3.17 per gallon. However, that average is almost $5 per gallon in some states.
- Maintenance costs: On average, drivers spend an average of $6,684 in hidden expenses, including auto insurance, gas, vehicle taxes and car maintenance/repair, according to Bankrate’s Hidden Cost of Car Ownership Study.
- Parking permits: Most campuses offer parking permits, but they can cost up to several hundred dollars per semester.
- Insurance: Car insurance tends to be more expensive for younger drivers, especially those who purchase
If you have an off-campus job, having a car may come in handy. Or, if you live within driving distance and want the option to spend some weekends at home, keeping a car may be convenient. Ultimately you’ll likely want to base your decision on total cost versus benefit.
Learn more: My child is going to college. Are they allowed to share their car with their friends?
How can college students save on car insurance?
High car insurance prices can squeeze a college student’s already tight budget. The cost of auto insurance has been on a steady rise over the past couple of years; from 2023 to 2025, the average cost of full coverage increased by 31 percent, around $625 per year. While experts predict that rates won’t rise as quickly as they have in previous years, costs are still expected to increase throughout 2025.
Worse yet, young adults tend to pay more for their policies compared to drivers in their 30s and 40s, largely due to lack of driving experience and higher claim risk. But, just because rates run higher doesn’t mean you can’t lower them. In addition to comparing quotes before buying a policy, there are a couple of other things college students can do to find more affordable coverage.
Maintain a clean driving record
One of the best things you can do to keep car insurance costs low is drive safely. A single speeding ticket raises the average cost of full coverage by $608 per year, while an at-fault accident adds an average of $1,199 to your car insurance bill. A DUI can nearly double the cost of a full coverage policy, according to our analysis — just one DUI conviction can raise car insurance rates by $2,540 annually. Safe habits behind the wheel aren’t just common sense; for college students, it can pay to drive cautiously. If you’ve been out drinking, don’t get behind the wheel. Many college campuses offer shuttles to and from local student haunts. You could also take advantage of rideshares like Uber and Lyft, or see if there’s public transportation.
Look for car insurance discounts for college students
Instead of slashing coverage to find more affordable car insurance, look for discounts. Many of the top insurance companies offer additional savings opportunities for college students, which typically include:
- Good student discount: Students who maintain a high GPA can typically qualify for this discount. Each car insurance company may have its own threshold, but it’s normally at least a 3.0 GPA or B-average.
- Safe driving course discount: By completing a qualifying safe driving course and receiving a certificate, you can usually get a cheaper premium. Check with your insurance carrier to see what may be offered.
- Telematics discount: To combat some of the high rates young drivers face, taking advantage of a telematics program might be helpful if your company offers it. Drivers who participate can earn discounts based on real-time safe driving habits.
- Affiliation discounts: Joining different clubs and organizations in college can be a great experience. Some, like fraternities and sororities, also often offer discounts on car insurance. Each car insurance company’s affiliations differ, so it’s a good idea to check with yours to see where this type of discount may apply.
What about a distant student discount?
While the distant student discount (also called a student-away-from-home discount) is a popular car insurance discount for students, it only applies if they do not bring their family car to college. The student also needs to attend a school a certain number of miles away from home.
Can a college student stay on their parents’ car insurance?
In most cases, young drivers can stay on their parents’ car insurance while attending college out-of-state. For instance, if the car they’re bringing is registered in a parent’s name and they still go home during holiday breaks, students can usually stay on their family car insurance policy.
If this is the case, make sure that the car’s garaging ZIP code is updated to the new address on the car insurance policy. This applies whether the student is attending college out-of-state or in-state and living on campus. You’ll probably also want to check what the state DMV regulations are for bringing out-of-state vehicles to see if there are any special rules or requirements when it comes to car insurance for students.
Learn more: Can I stay on my parents’ car insurance?
Get an older car
If you do bring a car to college, you may be better off with something a little older. A brand new car with a swanky infotainment system and high-tech specs may cost you more to insure. Based on our analysis, the Subaru Outback, Honda CR-V and Toyota Tacoma are among some of the cheapest models to insure. Older model years — ones that aren’t fresh off the lot but are still good on the roads — are something of a sweet spot with insurance pricing. Parts for these vehicles tend to be easy to source, which can bring repair costs down. And vehicles that are cheaper to fix are usually cheaper to insure.
Considering an on-campus car? Don’t neglect other tuition costs
Insurance isn’t the only consideration when you’re deciding whether to bring a car to college. First, consider other, non-negotiable campus expenses like housing, meal plans, textbooks and, of course, tuition. If those are already pushing the limits of your budget, it may not be in your best financial interest to bring a car with you to college.
If you took out a student loan, you may be able to use it to pay for insurance. Student loans can help pay for transportation expenses, part of which may include your car insurance premium. However, you’ll need to check with your financial lender before assuming that’s the case.
How much does car insurance cost for students?
College students can likely reduce their cost of car insurance by qualifying for specific discounts and, if possible, staying on their family car insurance policy. The table below compares average full coverage rates for college-age drivers on their own car insurance policies to those who stay on their parents’.
| Age group | Avg. monthly full coverage premium on parents’ policy | Avg. monthly full coverage premium on own policy |
|---|---|---|
| Age 18 | $414 | $615 |
| Age 19 | $364 | $498 |
| Age 20 | $340 | $455 |
| Age 21 | $312 | $378 |
The bottom line
Although bringing a car to college is mostly a financial decision, there’s a social and emotional aspect to it as well. “So much of what Aggies called ‘the Aggie Spirit’ manifested in late-night parking lot conversations, celebratory truck bed rides through town after football games and awkward attempts at drifting across ice in empty parking lots when we had the occasional snow storm,” Hurta said. “Given College Station’s location in the middle of nowhere, backroad karaoke sessions became a social staple.”
Hurta’s college experience wouldn’t have been the same without his truck. Not only did it allow him to get more of the Texas A&M social scene, it allowed him to give back. “I spent most of my spring semesters hauling tools and volunteers around to local service events, and Tuesday mornings saw my truck full of sacks of vegetables for a local food bank,” he said. “Without my vehicle, I wouldn’t have involved myself as heavily with the broader College Station community — I think giving back and developing those relationships far outweighed time lost in traffic jams.”
Methodology
Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze April 2025 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $50,000 property damage liability per accident
- $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
- $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
- $500 collision deductible
- $500 comprehensive deductible
To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2023 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually. Bundling and paperless billing discounts are applied.
These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes. Your quotes will differ.
If otherwise specified, the base profile has been modified with the following driver characteristics:
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