Cheapest Car Insurance For College Students in Illinois 2025

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 coverage.

Best Car Insurance Companies For College Students In Illinois

When selecting car insurance for college students in Illinois, you need to consider your priorities and pick a policy that matches your needs, whether that is low rates or comprehensive coverage.

Use the table below to see our picks for the best auto insurers for students in Illinois.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

Cheapest Liability-Only Car Insurance For College Students In Illinois

Minimum coverage policies are often an effective way to decrease overall costs, but can leave you vulnerable in an accident. These low-cost plans will only cover the state minimum insurance needed to operate a vehicle, which means paying expenses out of pocket.

Minimum coverage policies are great options for college students as they provide the insurance needed to drive legally while keeping costs low.

As you can see from the table below, GEICO is the cheapest average option at $456 per year.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

Cheapest Full Coverage Car Insurance For College Students In Illinois

College students who commute to campus or routinely drive for work should consider a full coverage policy over minimum coverage. These plans offer additional protection, often including liability, comprehensive, and collision coverage.

While the full coverage policies offer more protection, they come at a higher cost. It’s essential to weigh the benefits of the additional insurance against the extra monthly cost.

Country Financial is the cheapest full coverage car insurance policy for students in Illinois, at an average annual rate of $3,336.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

Cheapest Car Insurance For College Students With Low-Mileage In Illinois

If you’re a college student who doesn’t plan on driving much throughout the school year, there’s no reason to pay for insurance you don’t need. While you’ll still need to maintain the state minimum auto insurance, most low-mileage policies offer discounted rates if you stay below a certain number of miles yearly.

The limit will vary between insurance companies but is usually around 7,500 to 10,000 miles annually.

Use the table below to view the cheapest low-mileage rates for college drivers in Illinois.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

Cheapest Car Insurance For College Students With Driving Violations In Illinois

Driving violations can significantly increase the amount a driver pays for monthly coverage, regardless of age. College students will likely experience an even more significant rate increase after an accident or ticket due to their already high-risk rating.

One way to mitigate the damage of a driving violation is to work with a company like Country Financial that specializes in insuring motorists with a history of tickets or accidents.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

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

Where you live in Illinois can have a significant impact on your car insurance premiums.

Use the table below to view average rates for different cities in Illinois.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

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

Auto-Owners offers the cheapest rates for 18-year-old college drivers in Illinois, at an average monthly cost of $146.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

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

Auto-Owners provides the cheapest policy for 19-year-old college students in Illinois, averaging $130 per month.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For 20-Year-Old College Students In Illinois

The cheapest auto insurance rates for a 20-year-old college driver can be found with Auto-Owners, averaging $120 per month.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For 21-Year-Old College Students In Illinois

The most affordable college student car insurance policy for a 21-year-old can be found at Auto-Owners, with an average monthly cost of $115.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For 22-Year-Old College Students In Illinois

22-year-old student car insurance can be found from $115 per month, with an Auto-Owners auto policy.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

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

23-year-old college drivers can find affordable insurance from Auto-Owners at an average monthly cost of $96.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For 24-Year-Old College Students In Illinois

The cheapest car insurance policy for a 24-year-old college student is $93 per month, which can be found with State Farm.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

Average Cost Of Car Insurance For 25-Year-Old College Students In Illinois

State Farm offers the cheapest auto policies for 25-year-old college students in Illinois at $85 per month.

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

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

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.

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, auto insurance claims generally fall into four common types:

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

The collision claims are most common in parking lots and on highways, while the property damage tends to happen to parked vehicles.

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 parents’ 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 you, 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 in your name 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.

Note: There is no age limit for how long you can remain on your parents’ policy as long as you keep their home as your permanent residence.

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

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 your 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.

Note: If you do not have that card or you do not have coverage, you can have your registration suspended and face fines as well as reinstatement fees.

Illinois Car Insurance Laws to Know

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.

Compare College Student Rates To Other U.S. States

* These figures are estimates based on general market trends, and they may differ from your actual rate.