Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for College Students in West Virginia?

Wouldn’t this article be short if you could just know the single best company in West Virginia that has the most affordable coverage for college students? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple as there are a whole bunch of unknowns like whether you are married or single, the number of years you have been licensed, and if you are wanting full coverage, that help determine the price you have to pay. This article should teach you a little about the types of things that cause high car insurance rates and will hopefully give you a jump start in finding the best auto insurance.

The make and model of vehicle that is being insured is probably the largest consideration that determines the availablility of economical auto insurance for college students. Vehicles with high performance, poor crash test ratings, or a track record of large liability claims will cost more to insure than safer, lower-performance models. The next list estimates auto insurance rates for a handful of the most cost-effective automobiles to insure in West Virginia.

Prices above based on single female driver age 20, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and West Virginia minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can modify coverage rates substantially.

Based on these rates, you can expect makes and models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Traverse, and Toyota Prius are most likely to be a few of the most affordable vehicles to insure for students in college. Car insurance rates will tend to be more expensive because there is more inherent risk for college students, but overall those specific models will probably have the cheapest auto insurance rates compared to other types of vehicles.

For students in college, one of the more important criteria that is used to help calculate a rate quote is your address in West Virginia. More densely populated places like Bluefield, Oak Hill, and Elkins tend to have higher rates, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims receive better rates.

The next table ranks the highest-priced places in West Virginia for college students in which to buy car insurance.

Information shown are comparative as the vehicle garaging location can decrease or increase premium rates substantially.

Trying to find affordable insurance is confusing at best, and determining which company has the cheapest auto insurance rates for college students will take additional perseverance. Insurance premiums will be a little bit more expensive than the average price in West Virginia, with the increase attributed to the posibility of more claims related to offering coverage for students in college, but economical insurance may be possible if you are thorough. Each auto insurer has their own guidelines to set policy rates, so let’s take a look at the most competitive auto insurance companies in West Virginia.

Keep in mind that West Virginia auto insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price you have to pay. That is why West Virginia drivers need to compare rates when trying to find the most budget-friendly insurance rates for college students. Insurance rates are determined by many risk factors and can change substantially, so the best price the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be one of the more expensive options.

Best Car Insurance Prices for College Students

Click to Compare Rates Now

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Erie offers some of the best car insurance rates in West Virginia at around $931 per year. The Hartford, State Auto, USAA, and Westfield would also be considered some of the lowest-priced West Virginia insurance companies.

As illustrated above, if you have coverage with USAA and switched to The Hartford, you might see yearly savings of around $227. Drivers with Westfield may save as much as $241 a year, and Progressive insureds might reduce prices by as much as $419 a year.

Bear in mind that those rates are averaged for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and are not factoring in a rate increase for college students. So the insurer that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the list of companies shown earlier. That’s why you need to compare prices as often as possible using your own specific driver and vehicle information.

Rate increases following a ticket or accident

In a perfect world, the best way to receive the best auto insurance premiums in West Virginia for students in college is to pay attention while driving and not get tickets or have accidents. The diagram below demonstrates how traffic citations and at-fault accidents raise insurance premiums for different age groups. The rates are based on a single male driver, full coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.

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In the prior example, the average cost of car insurance per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,669. Get written up for one speeding ticket and the average cost surges to $1,882, an increase of $213 each year. Now include two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of auto insurance for college students increases to an average of $3,832. That’s an increase of $2,163, or $180 per month, just for not driving attentively!

How to get discounts on West Virginia insurance rates

Car insurance companies that sell the cheapest auto insurance for college students in West Virginia may have price discounts that can lower rates by as much as 40% or more if you are eligible to receive them. Larger auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be read below.

• Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including online signing, good student, homeowner, multi-policy, online quote discount, and multi-vehicle.
• AAA has savings for multi-car, AAA membership discount, good student, multi-policy, good driver, anti-theft, and pay-in-full.
• Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for pay in full, electronic funds transfer, business and professional, bundle discounts, and good student.
• GEICO may have discounts that include federal employee, air bags, anti-theft, membership and employees, defensive driver, and five-year accident-free.
• Esurance discounts include online quote, homeowner, DriveSense, renters, and good student.
• SAFECO includes discounts for anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, accident prevention training, drive less, homeowner, and multi-car.
• State Farm offers premium reductions for passive restraint, multiple policy, safe vehicle, anti-theft, good driver, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.

The illustration below compares insurance rates with and without discounts. The information is based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no claims, West Virginia state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.

The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with vehicle safety, good student, paperless filing, continuous coverage, paid-in-full, and passive restraint discounts applied. In this example, the the average yearly reduction on auto insurance for college students is 21% or $421.

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Cheapest car insurance: Geico, Allstate, State Farm, or Progressive

When researching auto insurance for students in college in West Virginia, some of the largest companies to start with are Geico, Allstate, State Farm, and Progressive. When combined, they have about 50% of all car insurance policies written. The next table points out some of the ratings and options offered by each one.