Best Car Insurance For College Students In Illinois 2024

In the state of Illinois, the most common car accidents are rear-end collisions and angle accidents, which are attributed to driver error. Many of these car accidents, including fatalities, happen around university campuses, like Southern Illinois University.

With over 125 colleges and universities including special focus schools and religious institutions, it’s important that the hundreds of thousands of students who attend these institutions prepare themselves against potential car accidents by having the right auto coverage.

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For College Students In Illinois – By City

Average Rates For 18 Year Old College Students In Illinois

Average Car Insurance Rates For 19 Year Old College Students In Illinois

Average Rates For 20 Year Old College Students In Illinois

Average Auto Insurance Rates For 21 Year Old College Students In Illinois

Average Rates For 22 Year Old College Students In Illinois

Average Rates For 23 Year Old College Students In Illinois

Average Rates For 24 Year Old College Students In Illinois

Average Rates For 25 Year Old College Students In Illinois

Average Cost Of Car Insurance On Family Policy vs. Individual Policy

How Can College Students Save Money On Car Insurance In Illinois

In Illinois, a 19-year-old driver will pay an average of $330 per month for a 6-month policy depending on the company. Progressive, Farmers, Allstate, and Nationwide are some of the most expensive in the state averaging closer to $400 per month but, there are several strategies that college students can use to make their car insurance premiums more budget friendly.

Used vs. New

While parents might often think that a new vehicle is a better investment in terms of overall cost, insurance companies think the opposite; a new vehicle in the hands of an inexperienced college driver means much higher premiums because of the anticipated cost of repairs and replacements.

Affiliation Discounts

College students in Illinois who participate in alumni organizations, honor societies, sororities, or fraternities can get insurance discounts from various providers. Membership materials for those organizations tend to have this information, but you can always ask your provider about it as well.

Student Discounts

Drivers in Illinois can get several types of student discounts based on things like good grades or students who are attending a non-local school and leaving their vehicle at home. This can save an average of $200 per year on a policy depending on the provider.

Security And Safety Improvements

Drivers of all ages, including college students, can get discounts on car insurance in Illinois by adding simple safety and security improvements from things like alarm systems to LoJack, as well as airbags and antilock brakes. Simple car alarms can reduce your premium by up to 5%.

Common Auto Insurance Claims In Illinois

In Illinois, there are several common auto insurance claims, including the following:

• Collisions where your vehicle collides with another object or vehicle, the most common of which are rear-end collisions
• Parking lot accidents
• Windshield damage
• Stolen catalytic converters
• Damage to a parked vehicle or theft of a parked vehicle
• Backup accidents

It is important to note that Illinois is a fault-based state and that means that whoever is found at fault for the accident is legally responsible for all of the damages.

Temporary Car Insurance

While temporary coverage isn’t available from all car insurance providers, it can be an ideal solution for college students who don’t plan to drive frequently.

Temporary auto insurance policies in Illinois usually cover a six-month period, with the flexibility to cancel when the term ends. This helps college students avoid paying for unneeded coverage while in school and is perfect for those studying abroad for a semester.

Do College Students Need Their Own Insurance, or Can They Stay On A Parent’s?

When you go to college, in most cases, it’s under the assumption that you will return home during breaks and in between each semester. As such, your parent’s home tends to remain your permanent residence. Even if you live somewhere on campus or near campus and you take your vehicle with you to school, having that vehicle and yourself be permanently addressed to your parents means you can stay on their policy.

Moving

However, if you move into your own home, and your vehicle is titled to yourself, and that becomes your permanent residence, then you will have to take out your own policy.

Marriage

Even if you are married, you and your spouse live with your parents, and the vehicles you drive are titled to yourself as well as your parents or just to your parents, you can remain on their policy.

However, if you own your vehicle or your spouse owns their vehicle you can decide whether you want to remain on the policy or take out your own.

Try Usage-Based Car Insurance

Usage-based car insurance works much like telematics by tracking a driver’s behavior, but it also offers an additional feature that college students find especially appealing.

By driving less throughout the year, you can receive discounts and lower premiums with usage-based car insurance. These “Pay-Per-Mile” plans are a great way to find affordable coverage if your vehicle stays parked in the dorm lot or at home for much of the school year.

How To Get Discounts

Car insurance for college students in Illinois can be very expensive, especially for college students who have a history of at-fault accidents and citations. You can take advantage of carrier-provided discounts to try to lower your rates.

Be advised that every carrier has a different set of policy discounts and different percentages associated with those discounts. Before selecting your plan, explore things like the following:

• Paid in full discounts for paying annually instead of monthly
• Multi-vehicle for multiple vehicles under the same policy
• Multi-policy for college students who might want to combine things like renters insurance with their car insurance
• Military
• Student away
• Good student
• Safe driver
• Defensive driving
• Low mileage
• Accident-free

Telematics Car Insurance For College Students

Finding creative ways to save on car insurance is important for college students. Using telematics is one of the most effective ways to reduce your monthly premium.

Telematics are tools that insurance companies use to monitor your driving. The safer you drive, the better your rates, and the higher your chances of getting discounts for safe driving.

How To Buy Car Insurance As A College Student In Illinois

When you set out to buy car insurance as a college student in Illinois, especially if it’s your first policy, you can use platforms like Insuranceopedia to make the process more enjoyable.

Below are the steps to follow when using sites like this to compare rates from different providers:

1. Figure out the type of coverage you need in your state and what the limits are.
2. Determine whether you need things like comprehensive coverage in addition to your liability coverage or whether you can afford to add those extra coverage limits or car insurance products.
3. Gather your personal information, including your driver’s history, driver’s license, and vehicle details.
4. Set up your budget so you know how much you are comfortable paying in terms of your deductibles and how much you might have in savings in the event of an emergency.

From there, you can decide to compare policies online and purchase your policy online or do so through an agent either in person or on the phone. When you are doing this, be sure to ask about potential discounts as a college student.

Experts recommend that you compare quotes from at least three companies side by side with the same type of coverage information.

Once you purchase your new policy, you may have to let an old provider know that you are switching to a new company but if you are with the same company but taking out a new policy under your name instead of your parents, they will send you a replacement card.

When you are done, you will be provided with your insurance card from the insurance provider and that policy information must be presented when you register your vehicle or anytime you are involved in an accident or a traffic citation.

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements In Illinois

In Illinois, there are car insurance requirements known as 25/50/20, which refer to the following:

1. $25,000 minimum for bodily injury coverage per person
2. $50,000 minimum per accident
3. $20,000 minimum in property damage coverage per accident

Drivers in Illinois must also carry a minimum of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for uninsured motorist coverage.

Once you take out a policy in Illinois your insurance provider will send you an insurance card that you must keep in your vehicle. If you don’t have that insurance card you cannot register your vehicle.