Taking your car to university can be useful, but depending on where you’re studying, it could also be more hassle than it’s worth. Here’s a look at the pros, cons and alternatives.
Key takeaways
- Taking a car to university doesn't come cheap. Because of increased risk, insurance for students living away from home is a lot higher than for those living at home
- The average student car insurance policy costs £1,585 for students living away from home. The minimum wage for 18–20 year olds is £10.85 per hour, which means working 146 hours to pay for it
- You might be able to snag a cheaper deal by staying as a named driver on a parent's policy, but the car must genuinely be the parent's
- If you decide not to take your car to uni, you can declare a SORN while you're away to avoid paying tax and insurance
- If you take your car to uni but it doesn't get much use, it may be worth exploring temporary policy options to cut the cost
Pros of taking your car to uni
We'll admit that having a car at uni has its perks. As well as that sense of freedom and independence you also get:
Convenient travel between university and home
If your parents live far away, getting home for the holidays can mean hours on buses and trains, with different connections to worry about. One delay can throw the whole journey off and make getting home a real headache.
With a car, you can just get in and drive home when you’re ready. It’s less hassle, less stressful, and it could even save you money.
Easy access to shops and student events
If your university is in a big city, you’ll probably have everything you need nearby, so there’s not much need to travel far. But if you’re studying somewhere smaller with fewer shops and places to go, having a car can make things like getting food, doing your shopping or going out much easier.
And if there are any student trips or activities further away, you won’t have to worry about how you’re going to get there.
Commuting is taken care of
If you have a part-time job while you’re studying, it might not always be within an easy bus ride. Being able to drive to and from work can take some of the pressure off, while also saving you time and giving you more time to focus on your studies.
Cons of taking your car to uni
Having a car at uni can come with its own hassle:
It's going to be expensive
Owning a car is expensive enough when you're a young driver. Taking your car to uni with you might make it even more expensive.
According to our data, student car insurance costs £1,585 for students living away from home*. That means you'd need to work 146 hours at minimum wage** to pay for it.
And that's just the insurance costs. You also need to factor in:
- Car tax
- Fuel
- MOT
- Parking costs
If you don't end up using your car all that much during term time, it could be a waste of money.
Parking troubles
Parking can be expensive and hard to find at university.
Costs and availability vary, and larger cities can be more restrictive. Some universities don't allow students to park on campus at all, while others may limit parking to certain times.
Check your university's parking rules before deciding whether to take your car.
You'll be the 'go-to' driver
Taking your car to uni increases the chance of you becoming your friend group's unofficial Uber and constant designated driver (which, in our opinion, is a noble profession - especially if you're the only one with a car on campus).
The freedom that comes with having a car feels less free when your friends keep asking for lifts.
What to consider when taking your car to uni
If you decide that having your car with you is the right option, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Add your car running costs to your budget: Your student loan will only go so far. And if you need to pay for a sudden repair bill or a parking fine, you might end up in your overdraft sooner than you thought.
- Change your address with your insurer: Your insurer needs to know that you're keeping the car at a different location. This changes its risk, which is likely to impact your insurance costs. Check out our guide on how to change your insurance policy for more info.
- Parking options: Check with your university if you can to apply for a campus parking permit. If they don't allow parking on campus they should be able to suggest alternative places to park.
- Keep your car secure: If you don't already have them, consider adding an alarm or immobiliser to your car. It's also worth considering visual deterrents like a steering wheel lock. For more information, take a look at our guide on car security.
If I drive to university, does that count as commuting?
If you regularly drive to your college or university, this can be classed as commuting, as some insurers include travel to a regular place of study under commuting cover. When choosing your classes of use, you may need Social, Domestic, Pleasure and Commuting (SDPC) cover rather than basic Social, Domestic and Pleasure (SDP) cover.
Make sure you tell your insurer that you’ll be regularly driving to campus when you take out your policy. Choosing the wrong class of use could affect your cover.
What are the alternatives to taking my car to uni?
If you own a car and decide not to take it with you to uni, it still might be expensive to keep on the road. Here are a few options available to you:
Take your car off the road
If you're not using your car for long periods of time, you can give your car a statutory off road notification (SORN). With a SORN, you can't drive your car or keep it on a public road. But you don't have to pay insurance, tax or MOT on it.
But if you want to use it again, you'll need to tax it, insure it and check the MOT is still valid, you can use our MOT checker to do this.
Get temporary car insurance for your parents' car
Your holiday time is limited, so you know you won't be needing to drive all that much when you're home. So it's worth considering getting a temporary car insurance policy that lets you drive your parents' or a friend's car while you're at home.
On average, it costs £128.84 to get temporary student car insurance for a week***.
You can get cover straight away and it doesn't impact the other person's existing insurance policy. So if you have an accident while driving their car, their no-claims bonus isn't affected. If you want to drive occasionally, this is worth considering
This might not be the right option if you plan on spending all your holiday time on the road. Uni students get around 20 weeks of holiday time throughout the year. So the cost of temporary cover would likely be much more than paying for an annual car insurance policy.
Become a named driver on another insurance policy
Being a named driver on someone else's policy, such as your parents', means you can use their car occasionally.
But adding a younger driver can increase the cost of their insurance, and if you have an accident, it could affect their no-claims bonus.
It's also important that you're genuinely only an occasional driver. If you use the car most of the time, you should be listed as the main driver. Saying otherwise is known as fronting, which is a type of insurance fraud.
Frequently asked questions
* Confused.com data. March-May 2026. Comprehensive policies only
** Minimum wage for 18-20 years old is £10.85 Source: GOV.UK
*** Median price for drivers aged 17-24, Tempcover data August 2026.
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