Wouldn’t this article be short if we could instantly tell you one specific company that has the lowest rates for good students? Regrettably, it’s not quite that easy, as there are a lot of unknown elements like whether you are male or female, the level of liability coverage you want, and if you have a tendency to get into accidents. This article will discuss the best ways to save money and also should give you a good start in finding the cheapest insurance.
Comparing quotes for cost effective insurance is not always easy, and determining which company quotes the most affordable car insurance rates for good students takes a little more work. Each auto insurer uses a slightly different approach to set policy rates, so we’ll take a look at the most affordable car insurance companies in California.
It’s a good idea to be aware that California car insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially change the cost of coverage. This is why it is crucial to compare lots of rates to get the best car insurance rates for good students. Insurance prices can be determined by many risk factors and can decrease or increase without notice, so the cheapest company a year ago may now be wasting a lot of money.
Best Insurance Companies for Students
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 3 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,214 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
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USAA has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Fresno at around $1,143 a year. Wawanesa, Nationwide, Century National, and CSAA would also make the list of some of the more affordable Fresno, CA car insurance companies.
As shown in the table above, if you are a policyholder with CSAA and switched to Wawanesa, you may realize annual savings of about $42. Customers with 21st Century may save as much as $187 a year, and Grange policyholders might reduce rates by $285 a year.
To see how much you can save, click here to get quotes or quote rates from the companies below.
Remember that these estimates are averages across all drivers and vehicles and do not take into consideration a specific location for good students. So the company that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That’s why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.
For student drivers, one of the big components that are looked at to help calculate the price you pay for insurance is where you live. Regions with larger populations or more claims will most likely pay more, whereas areas that tend to be more rural tend to receive cheaper rates.
The following table ranks the most expensive areas in California for good students to purchase a policy in. Fresno makes the list at #14 with an annual rate of $1,502 for the average policy, which is about $125 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 5 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 8 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 10 | Santa Clarita | $1,548 |
| 11 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 13 | Fontana | $1,519 |
| 14 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 15 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 16 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
| 19 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 20 | Huntington Beach | $1,374 |
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Information shown are comparative as zip code location can lower or raise prices considerably.
Difference between liability only and full coverage rates
Paying less for car insurance is important to the majority of people, and one of the fastest ways to buy cheaper insurance for good students is to not pay for full coverage. The diagram below compares auto insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The information is based on no claims or driving citations, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If we average all the age groups together, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,525 per year more than insuring for liability only. That is a big expense that brings up the question if you should buy full coverage at all. There is no set guideline to eliminate full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.
The chart below illustrates how your deductible choice can change insurance prices when trying to find cheap insurance for good students. The data is based on a married female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
A 40-year-old driver could cut expenses by $300 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $456 by using a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, such as the 20-year-old chart data, could potentially save $750 or more just by choosing higher deductibles. If you do raise deductibles, it is essential to have spare funds to satisfy the extra out-of-pocket expense associated with higher deductibles.
Irresponsible driving raises your rates
A great way to find affordable car insurance rates in California for student drivers is to drive carefully and avoid accidents and keep your driving record clean. The information below shows how traffic citations and at-fault collisions influence auto insurance rates for different age groups. The rates are based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
In the previous example, the average cost of car insurance in Fresno per year with no violations or accidents is $1,849. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost hikes up to $2,435, an increase of $585 each year. Next add one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of car insurance for good students jumps again to an average of $3,029. That’s an increase of $1,180, or $98 per month, just for not paying attention while driving!