You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website.

Best Car Insurance For Teachers Of 2024

Personal Finance Expert
Lead Editor, Insurance

Fact Checked

Updated: Jan 29, 2024, 12:23pm

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

The best car insurance for teachers will combine low rates with valuable coverage options and great customer service. But educators don’t need homework of their own to do, so Forbes Advisor evaluated 10 car insurance companies to identify the best car insurance for teachers.

Why you can trust Forbes Advisor

Our editors are committed to bringing you unbiased ratings and information. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate insurance companies, so all companies are measured equally. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and the methodology for the ratings below.

  • 18,750 car insurance rates crunched
  • 77 data points on coverage and quality analyzed
  • 96 years of insurance experience on the editorial team

Read more

Best Car Insurance for Teachers


Nationwide

Nationwide
5.0
Our ratings are calculated based on fees, rates, rewards and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Average annual rate for teachers

$1,545

Complaint level

Very low

Nationwide
Compare Rates Arrow

Compare rates from participating partners via EverQuote's secure site.

$1,545

Very low

Editor's Take

Nationwide had the lowest average car insurance cost for teachers among the companies we analyzed. The level of complaints against Nationwide for auto insurance is very low, making it a company to check out if you’re a teacher who needs auto insurance. Notably, Nationwide offers both a usage-based insurance program and a pay-per-mile option for drivers who want to potentially lower their rates based on actual driving.

More: Nationwide Car Insurance Review

Pros & Cons
  • Lowest average rates for teachers among the companies in our analysis.
  • Terrific car insurance rates when adding a teen driver to a policy, which is typically very expensive for parents.
  • Relatively affordable rates for drivers with poor credit compared to other companies.
  • Offers accident forgiveness, new car replacement and vanishing deductible options to add to your policy.
  • Offers usage-based insurance program (SmartRide) for good drivers who want to lower their car insurance rates based on driving habits.
  • Also offers a pay-per-mile insurance program (SmartMiles) for low-mileage drivers who want to save.
  • High auto insurance rates for drivers who cause an accident with injuries.
  • High car insurance costs for drivers with a DUI.
  • Rideshare insurance coverage is not offered.

Travelers

Travelers
4.5
Our ratings are calculated based on fees, rates, rewards and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Average annual rate for teachers

$1,881

Complaint level

Very low

Travelers
Compare Rates Arrow

Compare rates from participating partners via EverQuote's secure site.

$1,881

Very low

Editor's Take

Travelers has very competitive rates for teachers. The company also has many optional coverage types that can give you better insurance protection, making it a good option for comparison shopping.

More: Travelers Car Insurance Review

Pros & Cons
  • Great price for loan/lease gap insurance at around $39 per year.
  • Good average auto rates for drivers with a DUI on their records compared to top competitors.
  • Offers accident forgiveness and also minor violation forgiveness.
  • Offers a usage-based insurance program (IntelliDrive), which may get safe drivers a good-sized discount.
  • Has a very low level of complaints made about it to state insurance departments.
  • Rates are on the high side for adding a teen driver to your policy.
  • Offers rideshare insurance, but only in a couple of states.
  • Travelers’ bundling discount for buying both auto and home insurance is on the low end at only 10%.

Geico

Geico
4.0
Our ratings are calculated based on fees, rates, rewards and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Average annual rate for teachers

$1,784

Complaint level

Average

Geico
Compare Rates Arrow

Compare rates from participating partners via EverQuote's secure site.

$1,784

Average

Editor's Take

Geico has good rates for teachers looking for cheap auto insurance. Its level of complaints is about the industry average, but teachers can find other companies with lower complaint levels.

More: Geico Car Insurance Review

Pros & Cons
  • Great auto insurance rates for good drivers and also folks who have a speeding ticket, poor credit or were caught driving without insurance.
  • Also offers great rates for seniors and young drivers, who can be very expensive to insure.
  • Offers accident forgiveness.
  • Offers a usage-based insurance program (DriveEasy) for good drivers who want to try to reduce their auto insurance costs based on driving habits.
  • High average rates for drivers with a DUI.
  • Geico’s rates for adding a teen driver are only so-so.
  • You’ll have to look elsewhere if you want coverage features such as new car replacement, a vanishing deductible or rideshare insurance.
  • Geico’s average discount for bundling auto and home insurance is rather low at 8%.

Progressive

Progressive
4.0
Our ratings are calculated based on fees, rates, rewards and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Average annual rate for teachers

$2,121

Complaint level

Low

Progressive
Compare Rates Arrow

Compare rates from participating partners via EverQuote's secure site.

$2,121

Low

Editor's Take

Progressive had the best discounts for teachers among the companies in our analysis, at about 12%. But even with the ample discount Progressive’s average rate for teachers wasn’t especially competitive. However, its low level of complaints helped push its score up.

More: Progressive Car Insurance Review

Pros & Cons
  • Low level of complaints about Progressive auto insurance.
  • Offers a bevy of car insurance options such as gap insurance, non-owners insurance and accident forgiveness.
  • If you’re a really good driver, Progressive’s usage-based insurance program Snapshot may provide you a discount if you don’t mind your driving being tracked.
  • Average auto insurance rate for teachers isn’t especially notable.
  • No new car replacement coverage.

USAA

USAA
4.0
Our ratings are calculated based on fees, rates, rewards and other category-specific attributes. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.

Average annual rate for teachers

$1,716

Complaint level

Average

USAA
Compare Rates Arrow

Compare rates from participating partners via EverQuote's secure site.

$1,716

Average

Editor's Take

USAA offered an excellent auto insurance rate for teachers, among the companies we analyzed. Note that you must be a military member, veteran or military family member to be eligible for USAA insurance.

More: USAA Car Insurance Review

Pros & Cons
  • Low rates for not only good drivers but also ones with an accident, ticket or DUI on their records.
  • Also offers good rates for seniors and young drivers, two age groups that can be expensive to insure.
  • Offers accident forgiveness and new car replacement.
  • Offers a rideshare insurance coverage option.
  • Has a usage-based insurance program (SafePilot) good drivers can use to potentially lower their car insurance costs.
  • USAA’s level of complaints has been going up every year for the past three years. Its complaint level is currently at the industry average.
  • Only sells auto insurance policies to veterans and active members of the military, plus their immediate families.
  • USAA’s average bundling discount is fairly low at only 6%.
  • Average USAA rates for adding a teen to a policy are only so-so.
  • Does not offer gap insurance.

Summary: Best Car Insurance for Teachers Ratings

Company Forbes Advisor Rating Auto insurance cost example for teachers Complaint level for auto insurance LEARN MORE
Nationwide Nationwide 5.0 5-stars-removebg-preview $1,545 Very low Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website

Travelers

Travelers 4.5 4.5-removebg-preview-1 $1,881 Very low Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website

Geico

Geico 4.0 4.0 star $1,784 Average Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Progressive Progressive 4.0 4.0 star $2,121 Low Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website

USAA

USAA 4.0 4.0 star $1,716 Average Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Allstate Allstate 3.5 3.5-removebg-preview-1 $2,991 Low Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website

Auto-Owners

Auto-Owners 3.5 3.5-removebg-preview-1 $2,985 Low Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website

Erie

Erie 3.5 3.5-removebg-preview-1 $2,392 Higher than the industry average Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website
Farmers Farmers 3.0 3-removebg-preview $3,074 Low Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website

State Farm

Statefarm 3.0 3-removebg-preview $2,603 Low Get Quotes Compare rates via EverQuote’s website

Rate examples are based on a nationwide average for a 45-year-old female teacher with coverage of $100,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 in bodily injury liability per accident and $100,000 in property damage liability per accident, plus collision and comprehensive coverage with a $500 deductible. Source: Quadrant Information Services.


Car Insurance Discounts for Teachers

Some car insurance companies provide a price break for educators through affiliate group discounts—for instance, if you belong to a national educational association. Some insurers give car insurance discounts to drivers based on their jobs, so you may get a certain percentage off your rate if you’re a teacher. Others offer financial perks specifically for teachers—for example, your deductible is waived if your car is damaged on school property. So while not a discount per se, you pay less in that case for a claim.

California Casualty

California Casualty waives the deductible if a teacher’s vehicle is hit or vandalized while parked at a school, a school administrative office or an education association office. Among the other non-teacher specific perks are a deductible waiver for windshield repairs, $500 in non-electronic personal property coverage for theft from your car and up to $1,000 for veterinary bills if your cat or dog is injured in your car due to an accident covered by your policy.

Country Financial

Full-time K-12 teachers, as well as full-time firefighters, police officers, EMTs and paramedics, may be eligible for a car insurance discount from Country Financial.

Educators Insurance Agency

For teachers who need car insurance and live in Massachusetts, the Educators Insurance Agency partners with the Massachusetts Teachers Association to provide teacher car insurance discounts to members.

Farmers

While Farmers doesn’t provide car insurance discounts solely for educators, it does offer discounts to people who are members of various organizations. For instance, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology enables eligible employees to save up to 26% on Massachusetts auto insurance from Farmers. And the Minnesota Benefit Association gives several discounts on Farmers car insurance to public school educators, such as a 14% employee discount and 10% payroll deduction discount.

Geico

Educators belonging to any of several professional organizations might qualify for car insurance discounts. These organizations include the Association of American Educators, American Association of School Administrators, College Student Educators International and National Association of Elementary School Principals.

Horace Mann

This educator-focused company offers an educator discount, as well as discounts for educators who insure multiple cars with Horace Mann, who have different types of insurance (such as auto and home), whose premiums are automatically subtracted from their paycheck or who belong to an education association.

In addition, Horace Mann’s Educator Advantage Package program offers perks, such as no deductible or a lower deductible for vandalism or collision incidents covered by the policy that occurs on or near school property or while at a school-sponsored event. It also provides liability insurance when students are passengers in your insured car.

Liberty Mutual Insurance

The company offers an educator’s discount in some states. Other benefits for teachers are a $0 deductible for car vandalism that happens on school property or during school-related events, a $0 deductible if their car is damaged in a collision while they’re driving it for school business and up to $2,500 of coverage per incident for personally property if teaching materials or school-owned property are damaged or stolen while they’re in the teacher’s car.

Meemic

Meemic offers newly certified teachers a discount that applies to their first seven years of certification. Meemic’s car insurance for educators also includes waived deductibles for comprehensive claims for incidents that occur on school property and liability car insurance for driving students to and from school activities. Note that Meemic is selling new car insurance policies only in Georgia, Illinois and Michigan.

Teachers’ Insurance Plan of New Jersey

Educators in the Garden State who need New Jersey car insurance can earn a teacher discount through the Teachers’ Insurance Plan of New Jersey. It’s a subsidiary of Plymouth Rock.


How Much is Car Insurance for a Teacher?

The average cost of car insurance for teachers is $2,309 a year, based on a Forbes Advisor analysis. Average rates from 10 large insurers ranged from $1,545 to $3,074. Nationwide had the lowest rate (working out to $129 a month), and Farmers had the highest ($256 a month).

You can save money by shopping around for car insurance, since the cost of the same coverage varies from insurer to insurer.


How To Get the Best Car Insurance Rate for Teachers

Here are five tips for getting the best teacher car insurance rates:

  1. Assess coverage options. Consider what types of coverage each insurer offers so you can find the company that best suits your needs. In addition to asking about educator-specific benefits, you may want a company that offers accident forgiveness insurance or new car replacement insurance.
  2. Shop around. Compare car insurance quotes for identical coverage amounts from multiple insurance companies.
  3. Inquire about discounts. You may be able to score car insurance discounts based on a variety of factors, such as your driving record and claim history. Get quotes that include discounts so you can compare costs apples-to-apples among insurers.
  4. Choose a higher deductible. You can usually snag savings by raising your car insurance deductible. Drivers who increase their deductibles can save between 7% to 28% a year on average, according to a Forbes Advisor analysis of car insurance deductibles and rates.

Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance for Teachers?

Among the 10 companies evaluated, Nationwide offers the cheapest car insurance for teachers. Nationwide’s rate ($1,545) was nearly half the dollar amount of the most expensive car insurance from Farmers ($3,074). Travelers and Geico also have cheap car insurance for teachers.

Nationwide, Travelers and Geico also top the list of car insurance companies with cheap full coverage car insurance.


Methodology

To identify the best car insurance companies for teachers we analyzed rates, coverage options and customer service metrics.

Car insurance rates (50% of score): We used data from Quadrant Information Services to find average rates for teachers. Not all companies in our analysis offered a teacher discount.

Auto insurance coverage options (25% of score): Any auto insurance company can provide the basics of liability insurance, collision and comprehensive coverage and other standard offerings. But it’s also important to have access to additional coverage types that can provide greater protection or cost savings. In this category we gave points to companies that offer accident forgiveness, new car replacement, vanishing deductibles, usage-based or pay-per-mile insurance and SR-22s.

Complaints (20% of score): We used complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Each state’s department of insurance is in charge of logging and monitoring complaints against the companies that operate in their states. Most auto insurance complaints center on claims, including unsatisfactory settlements, delays and denials.

Collision repair (5% of score): We used data provided by CRASH Network, a weekly newsletter covering the collision repair and auto insurance market segments. CRASH Network’s Insurer Report Card has grades from more than 1,100 collision repair professionals to gauge auto insurers on the quality of their collision claims service.

Best Car Insurance Companies 2024

With so many choices for car insurance companies, it can be hard to know where to start to find the right car insurance. We've evaluated insurers to find the best car insurance companies, so you don't have to.

Compare Car Insurance Quotes

Get Auto Quotes As Low As $63/month, Compare Rates For Free, and Pay Less For Car Insurance

Compare Rates

Via EverQuote’s website


Next Up in Car Insurance


Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
The Forbes Advisor editorial team is independent and objective. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive compensation from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Advisor site. This compensation comes from two main sources. First, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. The compensation we receive for those placements affects how and where advertisers’ offers appear on the site. This site does not include all companies or products available within the market. Second, we also include links to advertisers’ offers in some of our articles; these “affiliate links” may generate income for our site when you click on them. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Advisor. While we work hard to provide accurate and up to date information that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Advisor does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof. Here is a list of our partners who offer products that we have affiliate links for.
lorem
Are you sure you want to rest your choices?