Best Health Insurance for College Students 2024

The Bottom Line

The best health insurance plan for you will depend on your healthcare needs and the options in your state. Blue Cross Blue Shield offers the best value overall and provides the widest availability, offering both student health plans and ACA plans. If you get a BCBS plan that uses the BlueCard network, you’ll be covered when you travel or return to your hometown as well. 

However, students who want easy access to CVS MinuteClinic locations may be better served by Aetna. Ratings and affordability vary by state, so be sure to compare Aetna’s plans to other options in your area. Older students who have access to Kaiser Permanente will find the plans to be more affordable on average, and the company has top customer satisfaction ratings to boot. students who want the best digital tools will find that Oscar’s mobile app stands out from the pack. 

Healthcare Coverage Options for Students

Stay on a Parent’s Plan

If you’re under 26 and a parent claims you as a dependent, you can stay on their health insurance plan while you’re at school. However, you should ensure the plan offers the coverage you need. For example, if you’re going to school in a different state and your parent’s plan is an HMO without nationwide coverage, you may not have access to covered care while you’re attending school. If that’s the case, you’ll want to explore other options. 

Sign Up for a Student Health Insurance Plan

If your college offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) that is fully insured, it must cover the same essential health benefits as ACA plans. Note that a self-insured plan may not comply with the Affordable Care Act and may offer different coverage, so check which type your college offers. Some colleges require you to purchase a Student Health Insurance Plan. If the plan is optional at your institution, be sure to compare the coverage and costs with ACA plans in the state where you’ll attend school. 

Buy an ACA Plan

Whether you’re a dependent or not, you can apply separately for health insurance through the national Health Insurance Marketplace or your state’s ACA marketplace apart from your parents. If you’re claimed as a dependent, note that any potential cost reductions will be based on the income for your entire household. If no one claims you as a dependent, your income alone will be used when determining premium tax credits and extra savings. 

Buying an ACA plan could be a good option if the coverage from your school’s SHIP plan doesn’t meet your needs and your parent’s plan doesn’t cover the state where you’ll attend school. Moving to your college town qualifies you for a special enrollment period, so you can get coverage right away rather than having to wait for the annual open enrollment period. 

Apply for Medicaid

If your family has a low annual income or doesn’t claim you as a dependent, you may be able to qualify for your state’s Medicaid program, which offers free or low-cost healthcare coverage to eligible low-income people. If you were formerly in foster care, you’ll be eligible at any income level. You may also be eligible if you have a disability or are considered “medically needy.” 

Otherwise, you’ll need to meet the Medicaid income limits, which vary by state and family size. You can apply through your state’s Medicaid agency. Note that you’ll need to be a resident of the state, and some states may not consider you a resident if your parents live in another state and claim you as a dependent. 

What Should Be in a College Student Health Plan?

In general, you’ll want to make sure your health plan offers:

• Coverage wherever you might need care: If possible, find a plan that offers coverage at your campus clinic plus off-campus coverage for after-hours care. Make sure the plan covers you when you return home or travel as well. If you can’t find a plan that offers coverage everywhere, consider where you’ll get care the most and choose the best option. Some plans may offer free or low-cost virtual or urgent care in other states even if they don’t cover you everywhere. 
• Affordable premiums and out-of-pocket costs: If you aim for the lowest premium, you may pay more out-of-pocket if you have a health issue. That’s why it’s important to consider premiums, deductibles, and copays together with your healthcare needs. If you’re generally healthy, it’s okay to choose an affordable bronze or catastrophic plan—as long as you’re prepared to cover the costs in an emergency.
• An easy-to-use app and other digital tools: If managing everything from your smartphone is important to you, choose a company with a well-rated mobile app. Consider other digital tools as well, like virtual visits, bill payment, and live chat customer support. 
• Good mental health coverage: College life presents many stressors beyond coursework alone. It’s important for your plan to provide affordable access to mental health services, so make sure the copays are reasonable and the network of mental health professionals suits your needs. 

Here are a few of the best options for college student health insurance. 

How We Chose the Best Health Insurance Companies for College Students

To identify which health insurance companies to review, we analyzed business and market insight databases, considered health insurance company market share, and researched user-generated data from Google to determine public interest and trends in health insurance companies and plans. 

We gathered data from third-party rating agencies, state and federal government health care marketplace websites and databases, and directly from companies via websites, media contacts, and existing partnerships. The data collection process took place between Sept. 29 and Oct. 23, 2023.

We then developed a quantitative model that scores each health insurance provider based on 27 criteria that fall into four major categories and are crucial in evaluating the company’s offerings and benefits. We weighted the four categories as follows for this article:

State availability (20%): This measure indicates how widely available plans are across the U.S., important for students who may spend time in different states during the year. 

Customer satisfaction (20%): To measure this criteria, we used data from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent nonprofit that rates health insurers on quality and customer satisfaction using a 5-star scale.

Plan features (40%): For each company, we collected information and analyzed whether it offered the following:

• Types of plans: HMO, PPO, EPO, POS, and other plan types
• Metal levels: Bronze, expanded bronze, silver, gold, and platinum plans, as well as catastrophic coverage
• App ratings: How users rated the insurance company’s apps in Google Play and the App Store

Cost (20%): We compared monthly premiums and deductibles for bronze and silver plans for 25-year-olds across two ZIP codes, representing the highest enrollment in ACA plans by state.

We also considered whether plans offer easy access and coverage in retail clinics, which are primarily used by a younger population.

Companies that have wide geographic coverage, low costs, excellent customer satisfaction, broad plan offerings, and well-rated apps scored higher than those that don’t.

Read more in our full methodology, which explains in depth how we choose the best health insurance companies.