Finding dependable, low-cost car insurance is hard enough, and deciding which companies quote the cheapest insurance rates for college students will take even more work. Each company uses their own calculation to set policy rates, so let’s begin by taking a look at the lowest cost insurance companies in Bakersfield, CA.
It’s a good idea to be aware that California insurance rates are influenced by many factors that can increase the cost of coverage. This price variation is why it is crucial to compare many different companies when trying to find the most affordable auto insurance rates for college students. Rates are made up of many risk factors and can increase or decrease at any time, so the most economical option the last time you shopped around may now be one of the higher cost companies.
Find the Best Cheap Insurance for College Students
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,226 |
| 5 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 9 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 12 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
USAA generally has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Bakersfield at around $1,121 annually. This is $530 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National are also some of the best Bakersfield, CA auto insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you currently have a policy with Nationwide and switched to USAA, you may realize annual savings of about $105. California drivers with Century National might save as much as $105 a year, and 21st Century customers might cut rates by $258 a year.
Be aware that those rates are averages across all insureds and vehicles and and are not calculated with an exact vehicle garaging location for college students. So the car insurance company that is best suited for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That emphasizes why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
The vehicle model you are seeking coverage for is one of the main factors when looking for cheap auto insurance for college students. Vehicles with average performance, excellent safety ratings, or low incidents of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than adrenaline junky models.
The information below presents auto insurance rates for some of the most economical automobiles to insure.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $2,210 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $2,242 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $2,251 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $2,427 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,439 |
| Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $2,458 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $2,468 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 4WD | $2,458 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $2,591 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $2,604 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $2,623 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $2,632 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $2,623 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $2,631 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $2,623 |
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Prices above based on single male driver age 20, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Price estimates do not factor in specific zip code location which can change premiums noticeably.
Based upon these rates, you can see that makes and models like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Ford Edge are likely to be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for students in college. Car insurance rates will trend higher just because there is more inherent risk for college students, but generally speaking those particular vehicles will most likely have the cheapest auto insurance rates compared to other vehicles.
For students in college, one of the big things that are looked at to help calculate car insurance rates is where you live. Regions with larger populations or more claims tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims benefit from lower coverage costs.
The information below ranks the highest-priced areas in California for college students in which to buy car insurance. Bakersfield is ranked at #23 with a yearly cost of $1,340 for car insurance, which is about $112 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,652 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 7 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 9 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 10 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 11 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 12 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 13 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 14 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 16 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 17 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 18 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 19 | Irvine | $1,371 |
| 20 | San Diego | $1,368 |
| 21 | Fremont | $1,361 |
| 22 | Huntington Beach | $1,360 |
| 23 | Bakersfield | $1,340 |
| 24 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,298 |
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Table data uses estimated as specific location information can increase or decrease prices substantially.
Comparison of full coverage and liability-only policies
Reducing the cost of insurance is the goal of the majority of vehicle owners, and a great way to find cheap insurance for college students is to not pay for full coverage. The illustration below compares insurance rates with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The premiums assume no accidents or driving violations, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If we average the cost for all age groups, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an additional $2,812 per year more than just buying liability insurance. Many of you may wonder if paying for full coverage is a waste of money. There is no definitive guideline to exclude full coverage on your policy, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
The example below shows how different deductible levels can raise or lower insurance costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for college students. The rates are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied.
A 50-year-old driver could pocket $350 a year by changing from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $530 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the 20-year-old, could shave as much as $888 or even more by choosing a higher deductible. If you make the decision to raise deductibles, it is a good idea to have plenty of discretionary funds to enable you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some people from using high deductibles.
Impact of violations and accidents on rates
The ideal way to maintain the best insurance premiums in California for students in college is to drive carefully and avoid traffic citations and accidents. The information below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault collisions raise insurance prices for each age group. The data assumes a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
The data charted above shows the average cost of car insurance per year with no accidents or violations is $3,262. Get written up for one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $3,697, an increase of $436 each year. Now add one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of insurance for college students increases to an average of $4,936. That’s an increase of $1,675, or $140 per month, just for not being a responsible driver!