How to read the comparison table
The table that follows lists the providers in ranking order. Each row shows the editorial score, the price as the school published it in October 2026, the format, the languages and how the certificate is handled.
Three format labels appear. Live online means a class taught in real time by an instructor, with no recording involved. In-person means a classroom session. Online self-paced is the state’s separate online course for adults, which ends with a completion record instead of a paper certificate.
“Not stated” means the provider’s own page does not say, which is different from “not available”. Where you see it, ask the school before you pay. Scores are our editorial assessment, and the how we rate page shows the six weighted criteria behind them.
Price, format and language for all 13 providers
| # | Provider | Score | Price | Format | Languages | MV-278 certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coreway Driving School | 9.6 | From $40 | Live online (Zoom) | English, Spanish | Paper MV-278 next business day: mail or Brooklyn pickup |
| 2 | 5 Hour Class NYC | 9.5 | $40 | Live online class | English, Spanish | MV-278 issued after you complete the class |
| 3 | NY 5-Hour Course | 9.4 | $40 | Live online class | English, Spanish | MV-278 issued after you complete the class |
| 4 | Take 5-Hour Course | 9.3 | $40 | Live online class | English, Spanish | MV-278 issued after you complete the class |
| 5 | Drive Rite Academy NY | 9.0 | $50 | Live online (Zoom), Online self-paced | Not stated | Zoom: paper MV-278 by mail (+$5) or Brooklyn pickup; self-paced: reported to DMV |
| 6 | Image Driving School | 8.9 | $45 | In-person, Live online (Zoom) | Not stated | Sign and pick up at the office the next business day |
| 7 | New York Auto School | 8.7 | $65 | Live online (Zoom) | English, Spanish | Mailed to the permit address the next business day |
| 8 | Grand Prix Driving School | 8.6 | $60 | Live online (Zoom) | Not stated | Mailed the next day |
| 9 | Super Starz Auto Driving School | 8.3 | $50 | Live online (Zoom) | Not stated | Issued on completion; delivery not stated |
| 10 | Pre-Licensing Course LLC | 8.2 | $38 offer (regular $49) | Online self-paced | English, Spanish | No paper MV-278: completion reported to DMV (24–48 h) |
| 11 | Totally Cool Driving School | 8.1 | $50 | Live online (Zoom) | Not stated | Not stated |
| 12 | Bronx Driving School | 7.9 | $65 | Live online (Zoom) | Not stated | Not stated |
| 13 | Alyaa Driving School | 7.8 | $50 | Live online (Zoom) | Not stated for the class | Not stated |
Prices and formats as published on each provider’s website in October 2026. Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings.
Price differences and what drives them
Published prices span $27, from a $38 offer to $65. Four listings sit at $40 (Coreway counted at its headline price), one at $38, one at $45, four at $50, one at $60 and two at $65. The most expensive live class costs $25 more than the $40 group, which is more than 60% extra for the same state course.
The listed facts point to four things that move the final bill:
- What is bundled. New York Auto School offers free road test scheduling with its $65 class. Totally Cool gives the class free inside a $550 eight-lesson package, and Alyaa’s $225 BASIC package adds a lesson, a test car and scheduling to a $50 class. Coreway’s packages run from $230 to $585.
- Certificate delivery. The booking sites state no extra charge for the MV-278. Drive Rite charges $5 to mail it.
- How you pay. Coreway adds a 2.9% card processing fee and accepts Klarna and Afterpay. Bronx Driving School takes cash or card.
- Dates. Some of Coreway’s scheduled dates are listed at $50 rather than the $40 headline.
Format alone does not explain the spread. Drive Rite charges $50 for both its Zoom class and its self-paced course, while Image charges $45 for a classroom or a Zoom seat. The cheapest listing, Pre-Licensing Course LLC, is self-paced, but its $38 is an offer against a regular $49.
Zoom, classroom and self-paced in practice
Where you sit
A Zoom class means a screen at home and no travel. A classroom means getting to the school, which in our ranking applies to one provider: Image, in Canarsie. A self-paced course lives in a browser, and you return to it as often as you need within the 30-day limit.
When it happens
Live classes happen on posted dates, and missing one means rebooking. Image’s page says a partly attended class is voided and must be retaken. The self-paced course has no class date at all, but the clock starts when you register and runs for 30 days.
What you walk away with
Live classes of both kinds end with a paper MV-278. The self-paced course does not: the school reports your completion to the DMV, which usually posts it in 24 to 48 hours, and you can book the road test once it appears. The self-paced option is also closed to anyone under 18 and to junior permit holders, while live classes are open from 16.
For most learners the live class is the lower-risk choice because it works for every permit holder and produces the document the road test examiner expects. The reviews of Image Driving School and Pre-Licensing Course LLC cover the two less common formats.
Language coverage
Six of the 13 providers state classes in English and Spanish: Coreway, the three booking sites, New York Auto School and Pre-Licensing Course LLC. The other seven (Drive Rite, Image, Grand Prix, Super Starz, Totally Cool, Bronx Driving School and Alyaa) do not state the class language.
Spanish classes are a smaller part of the calendar than English ones. At Coreway and the three booking sites, English classes run three times a week, while the Spanish class runs on select Sundays at 3:00 PM. New York Auto School describes weekday and weekend classes in both languages without listing times. Pre-Licensing Course LLC offers the self-paced course in both.
A Spanish class is the same state course and gives the same MV-278. The DMV requires any school teaching in a language other than English to say so in its advertising, so a school that is silent on the point deserves a phone call.
How fast you can get a seat
Class dates are where schools differ most. The table below shows the times each school publishes.
| Provider | Published class times |
|---|---|
| Coreway and the three booking sites | Tuesday and Thursday 5:00 PM, Saturday 1:00 PM; Spanish on select Sundays at 3:00 PM |
| Drive Rite | Zoom blocks of 10–3, 12–5, 3–8 and 5–10 PM on most days |
| Image | Classroom Tuesday and Thursday 10–3; Zoom on other days and Wednesday and Thursday evenings |
| New York Auto School | Weekday and weekend classes |
| Grand Prix | Most days, morning and evening |
| Super Starz | Sundays 10 AM–3 PM; Saturdays on demand |
| Totally Cool | Wednesday 12–5 PM, Saturday 10 AM–3 PM |
| Bronx Driving School | Wednesday 6 PM, Saturday 11 AM, by appointment |
| Alyaa | Not published |
| Pre-Licensing Course LLC | Self-paced, within 30 days |
Drive Rite publishes the densest calendar, and Image and Grand Prix also run classes on most days of the week. Coreway’s schedule lists seat counts of 5 to 12 per class, so look at how many seats remain before you commit to a date. If you need a late start, Drive Rite and Image both list sessions running until 10 PM.
Certificate handling
Plan for the paper as well as the class. Delivery varies more than price does:
- Coreway: issued the next business day, with a same-day digital confirmation. Mail takes one to two weeks, expedited shipping is an option at checkout, and you can collect it at 590B New York Ave.
- Drive Rite: mailed for $5, with faster shipping at extra cost, or collected at 594 Dean Street in Brooklyn.
- Image: you sign and pick it up at the Canarsie office the next business day.
- New York Auto School and Grand Prix: mailed to the permit address, the next business day and the next day respectively.
- The booking sites: issued after you complete the class.
- Super Starz, Totally Cool, Bronx Driving School and Alyaa: delivery is not stated.
- Pre-Licensing Course LLC: no paper; completion is reported to the DMV.
When a school mails the certificate to the address on your permit, check that you can receive mail there. If it goes missing, the school that issued it replaces it and may charge, as the $25 duplicate fee at Coreway shows.
Which course for which student
A teen with a parent
Live classes only, since the online course is closed to under-18s. Coreway states that junior permits (DJ and MJ) are accepted. Its Saturday 1:00 PM class sits outside the school week, and parents should remember the six-month wait and the MV-262 before the road test. See our Coreway review.
An adult with a full-time job
Look for evenings and weekends: Drive Rite’s 5–10 PM blocks, Image’s Wednesday and Thursday evening Zoom classes, Grand Prix’s evening sessions or the Sunday class at Super Starz. If you are 18 or older with a plastic photo permit, the self-paced course removes the date question altogether.
A Spanish speaker
Pick one of the six providers that state Spanish. The Sunday 3:00 PM class at Coreway and the booking sites is the cheapest route: 5 Hour Class NYC and the other two booking sites charge a flat $40 and Coreway starts at $40, while New York Auto School offers both languages at $65.
Someone who wants road test help too
Coreway sells appointment booking at $20 or $70 rush, a car at $110 and lesson packages. The three booking sites sell booking at $25 or $75 rush and a car at $115. Compare them on our full ranking.