Updated for 2020
Looking for a driving school in Austin will take time and energy. With several options in the area, who has the time to drive across the city? We searched for the available schools around Austin to see if any of them measure up. Whether your family is looking for an online drivers ed, or the classic in-classroom format, we have reviewed the best options in the area. Here is what we found.
Online Drivers Ed versus Offline Drivers Ed:
Most parents nowadays sign up their teens in online drivers education. An online program gives flexibility and convenience to students and their families. Here, the course can be taken whenever and wherever you want. You can do the course on a phone or a computer and the content is fully interactive. Online courses may actually be safer for students as well, but we’ll discuss that later. Also, given the size of Austin, you wouldn’t want to commute across the city just to get to the classroom on time. However, the traditional in-classroom setup still has its fans so we have reviewed options for those too.
Parent taught vs Instructor-taught vs Traditional :
In Texas you have several options when it comes to instructors.
- “Parent Taught” is the term used by the state of Texas to describe online drivers ed. This is the most popular option in Austin and across the state since it’s least expensive and the most convenient one. In this option, the parent acts as a supervisor, and not the instructor during the duration of the course. The parent is responsible for checking the student’s progress and for teaching the behind-the-wheel practice.
- “Instructor Taught” is the second most favorite option. In this option, the student learns about the educational portion of the course online, but transfers to driving school for the behind-the-wheel practice.
- “Traditional” option caters to those who want the in-classroom experience. Both the educational portion and behind-the-wheel practice are done in a driving school. This is the most expensive and least popular option among Austin teens.
Is Online Drivers Ed Legit?
Is online-drivers ed legit? Yes, completely legitimate. Online drivers education has been legal in Texas for more than 22 years and is offered by many certified online providers. More than 8 million students have graduated from these drivers education programs over the years!
Our Top Picks for Parent-Taught Online Drivers Ed in Austin
| Vendor | State Certified (TDLR) | Price | Rating |
| Aceable | Yes | $75 | ***** |
| DriversEd.com | Yes | $75 | **** |
| I Drive Safely | Yes | $75 | *** |
| DrivingQuest | Yes | $59 | ** |
These reviews are updated regularly and are current as of 5/1/2020
Aceable
Aceable is regarded as the top drivers ed provider in Texas. They have the best ratings, the freshest content and top-notch customer service. They have seamless app and web experience meaning you can take the course when and however you want. Without a doubt, this is the course to take.
DriversEd.com
Coming in at a close second is DriversEd.com. They are the oldest online provider and have a good mobile experience. Their content is a bit older and not as entertaining, but it is okay. Choose them only if you want to use their behind the wheel training.
I Drive Safely
I Drive Safely is one of the largest national schools and has graduated millions of students. They offer good customer services and have excellent parent resources. However, their content has become dated and the mobile experience is lacking.
DrivingQuest
DrivingQuest is new to the online space, but not drivers education, they are owned by Driving Zone out of McAllen, Texas. They do not offer a mobile app and their customer experience is lacking. However, they are one of the lowest cost providers. We recommend them hesitantly.
Is Online Drivers Education Safe?
Some parents question the safety and quality of training an online drivers ed provide. Is my child going to get good training online? Or, Is it safe? Those are fair questions to ask. The short answer to both questions is yes. Here is why: online drivers ed can be done at the comfort of you home, so naturally you’re child is safe. The content of an online program is fully interactive and needs the involvement of the student. Quizzes are given frequently and the teen must answer questions correctly before moving onto the next chapter of the course. Gone are the days when driving students “zone out” because of boredom. Additionally, students who used online drivers ed tend to have higher scores on their written exams at the DPS.
Traditional Driving Schools
If want your teen to have the traditional in-classroom experience, here are our top picks for drivers ed providers in Austin.
What we look for:
We investigated over 300 driving schools when we put together this list. We primarily look for providers that not only meet the state-minimum requirements but those that go have good reviews, lots of car availability and instructors that go above and beyond. We try to filter out negative reviews that are petty or unrelated to the business or reviews that are obviously fake. The school must be conveniently located with many classes available at different times and have been in business for at least 2 years. All the drivers ed provider we list below meet these criteria.
In-classroom Drivers Ed in Austin
| Driving School | State Certified (TDLR) | Google Rating | Yelp Rating |
| Austin Driving School ---------- 10401 Anderson Mill Rd |
Yes | 2 | 1.5 |
| Travis Driving School ---------- 13000 N Interstate 35 Bldg 12 STE 212 |
Yes | 5 | 0 |
| DriversEd.com --------- 13785 Research Blvd Ste 125 |
Yes | 3 | 1.5 |
| National Driver Training Institute --------- 1901 Ranch Road 620 N |
Yes | 5 | 0 |
| Austin Driving School ---------- 3100 West Slaughter Ln Ste A-103 |
Yes | 4 | 2 |
| Austin Driving School --------- 3654 Bee Cave Ste C |
Yes | 4 | 4 |
| Austin Driving School --------- 5700 Manchaca Rd Ste 375 |
Yes | 3.2 | 0 |
| Easy Street Driving School ---------- 6448 Hwy 290 E Ste C100 |
Yes | 4.9 | 4.5 |
| ABC Driving School ---------- 6516 S 1st Street |
Yes | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| GetDefensive.com --------- 6901 North Lamar, Suite 137 |
Yes | 0 | 0 |
These reviews are updated regularly and are current as of 5/1/2018
Austin Driving School Anderson Mill
Austin Driving School is one of the largest drivers ed schools in Texas. The reviews for the Anderson Mill location note that the staff is disorganized and incompetent. However, they commend the classroom portion of the course, but scheduling drive times is problematic. We recommend it hesitantly.
Travis Driving School
Travis Driving School takes pride in getting over 90% of their students pass the State Road Test. They give good service at a more affordable price compared to other driving schools. We like the fact that they offer a large number of class times and drive times. We highly recommend it.
DriversEd.com
Driversed.com has been around for 25 years. They own several behind-the-wheel vehicles and the instructors are professional. However, they got low ratings for their bad customer service.
National Driver Training Institute
National Driver Training operates many locations across the country. Their ratings are solid and are generally noted as having an excellent program. Former students highly recommend it which shows the school’s great reputation among new drivers.
Austin Driving School Location West Slaughter
The West Slaughter location of Austin Driving School has good instructors. But, they get low ratings for not having enough drivings instructors to accommodate all students. Some also noted a difficulty in scheduling drive times.
Austin Driving School Bee Cave
Austin Driving School in Bee Cave has accommodating staff and professional driving instructors.
Austin Driving School Manchaca
Parents who signed up their teens to the Manchaca location of Austin Driving School like the shuttle service that picks up their children from school. Though, some note that scheduling drive times was problematic and it was difficult to work with the staff. We recommend it hesitantly.
Easy Street Driving School
Easy Street’s website says it is the best driving school in East Austin and based on reviews, they may be correct in saying so. They have top ratings for their professional instructors who boost confidence in their students. Both staff and instructors are praised for their kind and friendly demeanor. We highly recommend it.
ABC Driving School
A family-owned business, ABC Driving School got top marks for their excellent program and the staff’s kind treatment of clients. Drive times are flexible and the instructors are patient and knowledgeable. This is a highly recommended driving school in Austin
GetDefensive.com
Get Defensive Driving operates several locations across the state. Their program has great content and is very informative to new drivers.