How to Rent a Car When You're A Student Under 25

Which Are the Cheapest Companies to Go With?

Updated 05/15/17

Road trips are one of the best ways to explore the United States as a student. You get to experience the freedom of travel without having to worry about the logistics of public transport, you get to bring along some friends and spit the cost of gas, and there's no worrying about getting lost if you bring a GPS with you. Road tripping is something every college student should do.

But what happens if you don't own a car? Do rental companies even rent to anyone under 25 years old?

The answer is yes, and this post provides a list of companies that rent to students under 25. The only downside? The daily surcharge for being a young driver. The price varies depending on which company you choose to go with, but you'll likely be looking at an extra $15-40 a day on your rental.

The best way to deal with this fee is to try and encourage as many of your friends as possible to come along with you. If you can arrange a group of five, then that $20 a day extra fee works out to be much more...MORE affordable.

Here, then, are the companies that rent to students under 25, along with their pricing.

Note: Michigan and New York both have state laws that allow car rental agencies to rent to anyone over 18 years old. For every other state, you'll have to be at least 21.

01 of 07

Alamo

••• Alamo

Minimum rental age: 21 years
Vehicle rental restrictions: None
Young driver daily surcharge: $25/day
Michigan daily surcharge (18 - 20 years) : $26/day
Michigan daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $14/day
New York daily surcharge (18 - 20 years): $66/day
New York daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $24/day
02 of 07

Avis

••• Avis

Minimum rental age: 21 years
Vehicle rental restrictions: No full-size or premium SUVs
Young driver daily surcharge: $27/day
Michigan daily surcharge (18 - 20 years) : $41/day
Michigan daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $28/day
New York daily surcharge (18 - 20 years): $52/day
New York daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $35/day
03 of 07

Budget

••• Budget

Minimum rental age: 21 years
Vehicle rental restrictions: luxury cars, mini vans, 12-passenger vans, specialty vehicles, full-size SUVs or premium SUVs
Young driver daily surcharge: $27/day
Michigan daily surcharge (18 - 20 years) : $41/day
Michigan daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $28/day
New York daily surcharge (18 - 20 years): $52/day
New York daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $35/day
04 of 07

Enterprise

••• Enterprise

Minimum rental age: 21 years
Vehicle rental restrictions: None
Young driver daily surcharge: $20+
Michigan daily surcharge (18 - 20 years) : $26/day
Michigan daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $14/day
New York daily surcharge (18 - 20 years): $66/day
New York daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $24/day

Continue to 5 of 7 below.
05 of 07

Hertz

••• Hertz

Minimum rental age: 20 years
Vehicle rental restrictions: No prestige or adrenaline collection cars.
Young driver daily surcharge: $15/day
Michigan daily surcharge (18 - 20 years) : $20-41
Michigan daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $20-25
New York daily surcharge (18 - 20 years): $20-41
New York daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $20-25
06 of 07

National

••• National

Minimum rental age: 21 years
Vehicle rental restrictions: No luxury cars or premium SUVs
Young driver daily surcharge: $25/day
Michigan daily surcharge (18 - 20 years) : $26/day
Michigan daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $14/day
New York daily surcharge (18 - 20 years): $66/day
New York daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $24/day
07 of 07

Thrifty

••• Thrifty

Minimum rental age: 21 years
Vehicle rental restrictions: No premium luxury, SUVs or convertibles
Young Driver Daily surcharge: Variable
New York daily surcharge (18 - 20 years): $73/day
New York daily surcharge (21 - 24 years): $35/day