Best Car Insurance For College Students In Arizona 2024

While some of the most expensive states cost nearly $4,000 per year for full coverage car insurance, Arizona college students can expect to pay around $3,000 depending on their policy and the discounts they apply.

With higher risks of accidents and, in particular, car theft in major cities like Tucson, small measures like anti-theft devices can go a long way toward lowering your premium as a college student in Arizona.

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

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For 18 Year Old College Students In Arizona

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For 19 Year Old College Students In Arizona

Average Rates For 20 Year Old College Students In Arizona

Average Car Insurance Rates For 21 Year Old College Students In Arizona

Car Insurance Rates For 22 Year Old College Students In Arizona

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For 23 Year Old College Students In Arizona

Car Insurance Rates For 24 Year Old College Students In Arizona

Cost Of Car Insurance For 25 Year Old College Students In Arizona

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

Common Auto Insurance Claims In Arizona

In Arizona, auto insurance claims usually come in four common forms, which are:

• Collision Claims (5.8 claims per 100 years of vehicle ownership)
• Comprehensive Claims (2.81 claims per 100 years of vehicle ownership)
• Bodily Injury Claims (0.95 claims per 100 years of vehicle ownership)
• Property Damage Claims (3.36 claims per 100 years of vehicle ownership)

The most common are windshield damage and vandalism, followed by theft of parked vehicles, rear-end collisions, and accidents involving someone driving in reverse, usually in parking garages and parking lots.

How Can College Students Save Money On Car Insurance In Arizona

College students in Arizona generally face much steeper car insurance rates compared to drivers who are older, even by a few years. Those college students who don’t have the option of staying on a parent or guardian’s policy, will need to look into ways to reduce monthly payments.

The tips and discounts below can help reduce the expense of car insurance.

Student Discounts

The most common discounts are for students with a B average or higher. These can be between 5% and 20% off your policy, depending on your provider.

Arizona also offers student discounts for safe driving, completing driver’s education, and being a distant learner.

Allstate, for example, provides discounts on car insurance for college students in Arizona for those who have completed the teenSMART driver education program. This program is designed to identify the six social and behavioral factors that cause more than 90% of all collisions for teenagers. It is considered one of the most effective crash-reduction programs for teens with parenting interactions, realistic driving simulations, and video learning.

Other discounts happen when you use the Allstate Drivewise technology to monitor your driving

Students who are under the age of 25 and live at school more than 100 miles from home, but keep their vehicle at home while they go to school can also get a discount.

State Farm provides college students with car insurance discounts when they qualify for the Steer Clear Safe Driver program which means having no at fault accidents or moving violations for the previous three years and participating in a program similar to what Allstate provides, including video content about safe driving behaviors and a subsequent tracker that monitors driving experiences and behaviors.

Note: With companies like Progressive, the student discounts that get applied to college students only apply if the student is on someone else’s policy, not their own.

Vehicle Safety and Security Upgrades

On campus, police respond to an average of 120 traffic accidents at the University of Arizona many of which involve pedestrians, hit and run accidents, and fatalities. However, that’s not the statistic that concerns many car insurance providers.

What is?

Tucson is the top city for car theft rates in the state of Arizona and 74th across the United states. Vulnerable Vehicles include Kia and Hyundai models which don’t traditionally have immobilizing anti-theft devices. Additionally, social media provided a viral challenge for bypassing the security features on these models increasing the risk of theft in Tucson and across Arizona.

For that reason, especially if you have a Kia or Hyundai, investing in a built-in anti-theft system on a vehicle can earn substantial discounts. For example, these upgrades can get a discount of up to 23% on a Geico comprehensive portion of the premium or 10% of your total premiums from others.

Affiliation Discounts

As a college student, there are some campus clubs and organizations that not only improve your social and academic standing but can provide benefits like insurance discounts, especially through alumni programs.

Used vs. New

When considering a new versus used vehicle for a college student, bear in mind that newer vehicles tend to have vehicle safety and security upgrades factory installed which can automatically reduce premiums for college students in Arizona.

Newer vehicles can also provide better gas mileage but, brand new vehicles within the last few years can increase the cost of premium significantly compared to a slightly older model because of the higher costs associated with repairs and replacements in the event of an accident.

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

In Arizona college students can typically stay on an insurance policy with their parents if they continue to live at home or if they are considered a temporary resident like when they go to college. It’s not until students move out permanently that they need their own policy.

While Arizona law requires that all drivers have a minimum liability coverage, being able to stay on a parent’s policy can significantly reduce costs, with many insurance companies providing away at school discounts, permissive use discounts when students rarely use their vehicle, and other good driver discounts.

Try Usage-Based Car Insurance

Much like telematics, usage-based car insurance monitors driving behaviors, but it has an added feature that is especially appealing to college students.

Usage-based car insurance lets you earn discounts and reduce your premiums by driving fewer miles annually. These “Pay-Per-Mile” plans are a practical way to get affordable coverage if your car is mostly parked in the dorm lot or at home during the school year.

Temporary Car Insurance

While temporary coverage isn’t offered by every car insurance company, it can be a great option for college students who won’t be driving much.

Most temporary auto insurance policies offer six-month coverage and allow cancellation at the end of the term. This is a cost-effective option for college students who don’t need insurance during the school year and for those studying abroad for a semester.

Telematics Car Insurance For College Students

College students should look for creative ways to reduce car insurance costs, and telematics is one of the most effective methods to lower your monthly premium.

Telematics are tools that insurance companies use to track and assess your driving habits. Safe driving leads to better rates and increases your chances of earning discounts.

How To Buy Car Insurance As A College Student In Arizona

When you go to purchase your first car insurance policy, you can do so by purchasing it directly from an insurance company, talking to an agent over the phone, using independent insurance marketplaces to compare, and purchasing online.

The best way to do that is to use an online platform like Insuranceopedia so that you can compare several quotes from at least three companies side by side.

When you are ready, follow these easy steps:

1. Decide where you want to purchase your car insurance, either with online quotes or working with an agent in person.
2. Determine how much coverage you not only need legally in Arizona but want to add to keep yourself insured like gap coverage or extra collision coverage.
3. Fill out the application for buying a new policy with information including your vehicle information numbers as well as make and model, current address, driver’s license and other personal information and your declarations page if you have one.
4. Choose your policy, set the date that it will go into effect, and pay your premium. Once this is done you’ll get your proof of coverage and your insurance card that you can keep in your vehicle.

How To Get Discounts As A College Student In Arizona

Getting discounts as a college student in Arizona is as simple as asking your insurance provider for available discounts, asking any affiliate groups for available discounts, and comparing new policies.

Each insurance provider has an individual list of potential discounts.

If you already have insurance through a particular provider, like State Farm or Progressive, you can sign into your account and see about adding certain discounts immediately.

If you want to switch providers, you can use websites like Insuranceopedia to compare the discounts available to you including things like military discounts, safe driver discounts, low mileage discounts, and paid in full discounts.

Arizona Car Insurance Laws To Know

In Arizona you must maintain minimum car insurance which is $25,000 in bodily injury for one person and $50,000 for two or more and $15,000 for property damage.

Drivers in Arizona are required to carry uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person or $50,000 per accident, as well as underinsured motorist coverage at the same value.

Proof of insurance has to be provided at all times and failure to maintain or provide insurance comes with fines and other penalties. All of these laws apply to cars, trucks, motorcycles, golf carts, and even mopeds.

Drivers involved in an accident where they were not at fault can file their claim directly with the at-fault driver’s insurance company instead of their own, but they can also use their own. This is an important distinction because filing with the at-fault driver’s insurance company does not carry the same penalties as any clean record discounts you might receive from your insurance provider in Arizona.