Move-in day brings a familiar set of risks for college students: a car that breaks down far from home, a dorm room full of easy-to-steal electronics, and, increasingly, a first real exposure to identity theft. A look at the data behind each shows the risks are bigger, and more specific, than most students expect.
Theft is by far the most common crime reported on college campuses, accounting for more than 80% of reported campus crime, according to FBI Uniform Crime Report data. A separate analysis from the National Center for Education Statistics similarly found burglary and theft make up the largest share of campus crime overall — driven largely by how much value now sits in a typical dorm room. Two roommates can easily have several thousand dollars in electronics alone between laptops, phones, tablets and gaming systems, all concentrated in a small, shared, frequently unlocked space.
That concentration of value collides with a coverage gap many families don’t realize exists. According to the Insurance Information Institute, a parent’s homeowner’s policy typically extends only a sub-limit to a student’s belongings at school — often around 10% of the policy’s total personal property coverage, or a set dollar minimum, whichever is greater. On a $100,000 personal property policy, that could mean as little as $10,000 available to cover everything a student brings to campus, which may not go far after a theft involving a laptop, phone and gaming console. “Auto insurance coverage may need to change, as well, for a vehicle being used away at college, so it’s important to speak with your insurance provider to be sure your student’s vehicle and personal possessions are adequately protected,” said Dan Scroggins, vice president of personal lines insurance at AAA Club Alliance.
A standalone renters policy is a relatively cheap fix by comparison — the Insurance Information Institute puts the national average around $174 a year, or roughly $15 a month, with other insurers reporting ranges from about $10 to $25 depending on coverage and location. It typically covers theft, fire and water damage, plus liability, protection that generally isn’t available at all under a parent’s policy for students living off-campus.
Vehicles bring their own set of predictable failure points. Students managing car maintenance on their own for the first time are prone to skipping routine service until something breaks, said Jana Tidwell, AAA’s public affairs manager. Basic prep — reviewing the owner’s manual, scheduling an oil change, checking tire tread and rotation, and replacing air filters and wiper blades before the car leaves for school — heads off a lot of avoidable breakdowns. A stocked emergency kit helps too: flashlight, jumper cables or a portable jump starter, a tire inflator, first-aid supplies and water, with an ice scraper and traction material added once winter hits.
Identity theft is the newest risk on this list, and the numbers back up why it’s worth taking seriously: the Federal Trade Commission logged more than 1.3 million identity theft complaints in 2025 and roughly 3 million related fraud reports, totaling more than $15.8 billion in reported losses. Students can be attractive targets in part because they don’t yet have the long transaction history that makes unusual account activity easy to flag, Tidwell said. Standard precautions apply: unique passwords or passphrases, avoiding payments over public Wi-Fi, limiting how often a Social Security number gets shared, and routing sensitive mail to a permanent address rather than a dorm mailbox, where security can be inconsistent.
Campus-security guides add a few practical habits worth layering on top: lock the door even for a five-minute trip down the hall, since most dorm thefts are crimes of opportunity rather than planned break-ins; keep a written or photographed inventory of electronics, including serial numbers, to help police identify recovered property; and avoid leaving a laptop unattended in a library or dining hall, the locations where campus-security data consistently shows theft is most likely to happen.
