What do I need to know about student car insurance?
Student car insurance is largely the same as regular car insurance. You'll get the same level of cover whether you're a student or not.
Where it might differ is in the price you pay. Students are often seen as riskier to insure for a number of reasons. Sadly, this can lead to higher premiums for them.
But what about just not declaring your status as a student when taking out a policy? Could this be a way to get cheaper insurance?
In short, no. This is known as fronting, a form of insurance fraud.
Get caught fronting and you could face a driving ban, points on your licence and even a criminal record. So it's simply not worth it.
There are three levels of car insurance for students to choose from:
How much does student car insurance cost?
University 2 | Avg fully comp policy price 3 |
---|---|
University of Birmingham
|
£841
|
University of Cambridge
|
£480
|
The University of Edinburgh
|
£488
|
Lancaster University
|
£445
|
University of Leeds
|
£739
|
University College London
|
£1,233
|
University of Manchester
|
£883
|
Newcastle University
|
£557
|
The University of Nottingham
|
£585
|
University of Oxford
|
£509
|
The University of Sheffield
|
£639
|
University of Southampton
|
£512
|
University of St Andrews
|
£453
|
The University of Warwick
|
£638
|
2 Universities have been taken from the 2020 UniRank league table. We've added just one London University as all would show the same car insurance premium. Price is based on West Central London.
3 Confused.com price insurance index Q4 2022.
The exact cost of your student car insurance is not just down to your age. It’s based on a variety of factors like:
-
Your driving history, as points and past claims make you appear riskier to insure
-
The car you drive and its insurance group are known to affect what you pay
-
Your uni's location as uni towns and cities often have a higher rate of car theft
This table shows the average comprehensive policy price for a selection of the top universities in the UK.
The prices shown are an average across all age ranges, and not just student car insurance quotes.
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How can I get cheaper student car insurance?
Insurers consider many factors when working out how much you’ll pay for insurance. This includes things like your age, where you live and the car you drive.
This can leave many wondering how to get cheaper car insurance.
But don't worry. Here are a few things you could do to help save yourself some money:
- Shop around and avoid auto renewal
- Think about the car you drive
- Consider a black-box policy
- Add a named driver
- Accurately estimate your mileage
- Pay upfront
- Increase your excess
- Avoid modifications
- Consider pay per mile insurance
- Take an advanced driver course
Shop around and avoid auto renewal as insurers don’t always reward loyalty, so there’s a chance the price they offer you will be more than what you paid last year.
Think about the car you drive as cars in high car insurance groups can be pricier to insure than those in lower ones.
Consider black box insurance or a telematics insurance policy, as these may be cheaper than standard car insurance policies.
Add a named driver to your policy, as this may cut your premiums.
Pay upfront as it can be as much as 16%4 cheaper to pay for your insurance in one go, rather than in monthly installments.
Accurately estimate your mileage as over-estimating could increase your price. The average is about 6,5004.
Increase your voluntary excess as the more you're willing to pay, the cheaper your policy is likely to be.
Avoid car modifications as most are likely to bump up the cost of your insurance.
Consider pay per mile insurance, also known as pay as you go car insurance, as these policies only bill you for the miles you drive.
Take an advanced driver course as insurers may offer you a lower price if you do.
4Based on Confused.com data Jan 2022 - Jun 2022
We compare up to 142 trusted insurance companies to get you our cheapest deal in minutes
Need more help?
Which address should I use when I get student car insurance?
When getting a quote, you should use the address where your car is for most of the year. If you’re a student living away from home, you should – for insurance purposes – use your student accommodation as the main address on your policy.
Student areas are highly populated and often higher risk, so this may hike up the price.
It’s worth noting that failure to state the correct address can lead to your policy being invalid in the event of a claim.
Can I insure my housemates on my car?
Yes, if they occasionally drive the car you can add them as named drivers on the policy.
Will I pay more for car insurance as a mature student?
Age will usually be on your side when it comes to car insurance, with older more experienced drivers benefiting from lower prices.
However, mature students still pay a lot for car insurance compared to other drivers of the same age. This is because being a student is considered a higher risk ‘occupation’.
What our student car insurance expert says
If you're planning on taking your car to uni, you should be truthful with your insurer about where the car is being kept for most of the time. It might be tempting to say you keep it at home rather than uni to save yourself some money, but misleading your insurer could invalidate your policy.
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Types of car insurance
Black box car insurance
lets you prove you’re a safe driver, and save money on your policy, even if you’re inexperienced or seen as high risk.
Classic car insurance
offers cover for owners of classic cars. For insurance purposes, a classic car can be any car that’s older than 15 years.
Business car insurance
covers you if you use your car for work, including travelling between offices or across the country.
Car insurance
is a legal requirement if you're driving in the UK. Find out more about choosing the right cover at the right price.
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