The Student Driving Report | MoneySuperMarket

Starting university is a major milestone for many people, and for those who decide to take their car, choosing a city that supports their driving needs can make a big difference.

With reports showing that around a third of students choose to bring their car to university, many will be thinking about navigating unfamiliar roads, finding affordable parking and managing the everyday costs of running a vehicle away from home.

For students already balancing tuition fees, rent and everyday living costs, the extra expense of taking a car to university can feel less like a convenience and more like a financial burden. 

To help students keep costs down and make more informed decisions, our new Student Driving Report ranks the UK’s major university cities based on how driver-friendly they are.

The report analyses a number of key factors, including parking costs, vehicle offences, accident rates, and local petrol prices. We also used our own data to highlight the car insurance costs student drivers face and how they vary from city to city. 

The most driver-friendly locations for student drivers

With the cost of driving already placing pressure on student motorists, the location of a university can make a difference to the overall experience of owning a car.

Some cities offer more affordable, accessible and safer driving conditions than others, potentially making them better suited to students who choose to bring a car with them. 

1. Pontypridd

Pontypridd ranks as the UK’s most driver-friendly university city. Home to the University of South Wales, it combines some of the lowest costs with relatively safe roads.

Residential parking permits cost just £16 a year, while only 51 road accidents were recorded over the past 12 months.

Students can also benefit from below-average petrol prices at £1.49 per litre and comparatively low annual car insurance premiums of £1,262.18, making Pontypridd a standout destination for student drivers. 

2. Swansea

Securing the second spot is Swansea, home to Swansea University. It stands out as one of the most budget-friendly cities for student motorists, offering free residential parking and a low average annual insurance premium of £1,117.28, which significantly reduces running costs.

Although, it experiences higher levels of vehicle crime with 6,006 recorded incidents, a low accident rate of 138 helps solidify its position near the top of the ranking.

3. Sunderland

Sunderland completes the top three. Day-to-day expenses are kept to a minimum due to competitive local fuel costs, with petrol averaging £1.51p per litre, and the availability of free residential parking.

Furthermore, student motorists benefit from an average annual insurance premium of £1,289.47. Even though the city experienced 335 road accidents over the year, its strong financial viability helps it rank highly among the most accommodating UK cities for student drivers.

The most challenging locations for student drivers

1. London

London ranks as the least driver-friendly university city, with higher driving costs and challenges for student drivers.

The capital recorded 87,206 vehicle crime incidents alongside 21,000 road accidents in the past year, surpassing all other cities in the study.

With average yearly insurance premiums reaching £1,926.14 and petrol prices at £1.53p per litre, students bringing a car to a university in London face substantial financial and practical challenges.

2. Kingston upon Thames

Following behind London is the nearby town of Kingston upon Thames. Driven primarily by high vehicle-related costs and local crime levels, Kingston's score is influenced by the fact that it falls under the Metropolitan Police force area, meaning it matches London with 87,206 recorded vehicle crime incidents.

Road safety tells a different story, however, with the town recording a comparatively low 289 road traffic collisions over the last 12 months.

Even so, Kingston University students who decide to keep a car face average yearly insurance premiums of £1,239.66 alongside £123.10 in annual parking permit fees in residential areas.

3. Glasgow

Glasgow rounds out the three least driver-friendly university locations. University of Glasgow students encounter some of the steepest permit prices in the study, costing £150 per year, alongside substantial average insurance premiums of £1,435.65.

With 622 road collisions documented over the last 12 months, these factors combined cement the city's status as one of the least accommodating environments for student motorists in the UK.

Insurance costs for student drivers

Students who keep their vehicle at their term-time address for the majority of the time should update their policy to make sure they’re covered.

Using MoneySuperMarket data, looking specifically at students, we analysed average annual premiums across UK university cities to reveal where student drivers are paying the most and the least for their cover.

The most expensive university cities for student drivers

With an average annual premium of £1,926.14, London takes the top spot as the most expensive university city for insurance for student drivers, costing roughly £946 more than the country's cheapest location.

Following closely behind are the neighbouring cities of Manchester and Salford, which both record average premiums of £1,753.63.

Completing the top five are Birmingham, Leeds and Belfast, where annual coverage averages £1,696.62, £1,527.98, and £1,477.98 respectively.

The most affordable university cities for student drivers

At the opposite end of the ranking, Oxford offers the cheapest average cover, with student drivers paying an average annual premium of £979.98. Other budget-friendly cities include Bath, Exeter, Brighton and Bournemouth, where insurance costs are comparatively lower. 

Alicia Hempsted
Insurance Expert

Expert advice for student driviers

Where a car is kept can influence insurance costs, as insurers consider factors such as traffic levels, claims history and local risk.

Students who move away for university and keep their car at a new address for much of the year may need to update their policy details, which could affect their premium. 

For students, it’s important to make sure the details on their insurance policy accurately reflect their circumstances, including where the car is usually kept for the majority of the time and who the main driver is.

While it may be tempting to provide a different address or list a family member as the main driver to secure a cheaper quote, giving incorrect information to an insurer could invalidate the policy and leave you without cover if you need to make a claim.

You should always update your insurer if you change your address or how your vehicle is used Students should also consider the full cost of running a car, including parking permits, fuel and insurance, particularly in cities where parking may be limited or expensive. 

Shopping around before term is one of the simplest ways students can keep costs down. Comparing quotes in advance can help students to appreciate and understand the true cost of owning a car at university and make a more informed decision.

Methodology and sources

Sources and methodology:

The Student Driving Report was created by MoneySuperMarket using public datasets and internal data to assess how accommodating UK university cities are for students bringing a car to university.

The analysis used a range of factors to assess how suitable each university city is for student drivers. The index considered parking availability and costs, vehicle crime, accident rates, local petrol prices and average insurance premiums to reveal which locations offer the best conditions for students bringing a car. 

Parking costs

For each city, local councils' residential parking permit schemes were reviewed to find the annual cost for students in private rented housing. Where residential permits are based on emissions, the output of a small petrol car was used. For London, data was collected for all boroughs and then averaged.

Vehicle offences

ONS - Police Force Area. The number of vehicle offences for the corresponding location was taken.

Accident rate

DfT (Department for Transport) - Road Casualties interactive map. 2024 data (most complete recent available) was taken for the corresponding location.

Local petrol prices

Local fuel prices were calculated using postcodes linked to each university city, with average petrol and diesel prices recorded from Fuel Finder. Data was correct as of 20 July 2026.

Average annual premium, average policy holder years and average total annual mileage

MoneySuperMarket internal policy data, filtered to policyholders whose recorded main occupation type is "Student"; data drawn from 2025.