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I learned that some verb prefixes are always separable from the main verb, e.g. anfangen, ankommen.
I also learned that some verb prefixes are never separable, e.g. verbleiben, verbringen.
But according to an answer to this question:
The word »überragen« (to be taller/higher) is a not-separable verb like »überholen« (to overtake) [or] »überkochen« (to boil over).
Why is that? Are there any other prefixes that have both separable and inseparable verb versions?
Yes, there are a number of verbs like this, e.g. "umfahren". One variant means "drive around", the other "knock down with your car". (Lots of potential for goofy humor, obviously.)
The general rule is that if the prefix bears the stress, it is sometimes (not always) separated from the base verb. If the stem bears the stress, they are never separated.
Unfortunately, this doesn't help you if you have only written text to work with, since German doesn't write stress indicators. This is one reason why spoken language resources are important for proper learning.
As for why things work like this... it's difficult to say. AKAIK there are somewhat comparable rules in other languages (e.g. "Get out the vote!" vs. "Get the mustard out!"), but I couldn't say whether the connection between stress and verb syntax is a larger principle.
You asked: »Why is that?«
Short answer: »It has no special reason.«
Long answer:
Rules for natural languages are not constructed. There is no committee that defines grammar rules. Grammar rules do not define how languages have to be used.
Languages change and evolve. From the factual usage of languages you can derive rules that describe how languages are used.
Remember: Grammar rules do not define how a languages has to be used. Grammar rules try to describe how languages are used in real life.
Grammar rules (i.e. descriptions of the factual usage) can help students and non-native-speakers to learn a language. And think of this: Toddlers learn a language without learning any rule. They even don't know what rules are. They just use the language. And this is why even people can communicate who never attended any school.
This is how languages develop:
One single person begins to use one aspect of a language in a slightly different way than everybody else. In most cases this happens unwittingly and without any intention. In more than 99% of all cases this new way of speaking will be ignored by other speakers. But in rare cases other speakers also begin to use the same peculiarity, and this group can grow. And again: This happens unwittingly and without any intention. Then you have two groups of speakers: A majority that speaks in the old way, an a minority that uses the new way of speaking.
And sometimes this new way of speaking spreads over the whole group of speakers. When this happens, then the languages was changed. This is why living languages are called »living«. They are changing continuously. This happens to all living languages, and it happens all the time.
But the point is: There are absolutely NO RULES that guide that process of development. This leads to illogical and inconsistent rules in all natural languages.
So, when ever you get aware of an illogic or inconsistent grammar rule in any language, and then ask: »Why is that?« then you know, that it just happened by accident, for no special reason.
There is a clear difference in the senses of the word »überragen« (to be taller/higher), which is a not-separable, and »überholen« (to overtake) [or] »überkochen« (to boil over), which are separable. The first is permanent condition (taller means always taller) and the second are temporary conditions (the overtaking and boiling conditions existed for only part of the time frame.) This is true even though both sets of words begin with über.
Likewise, verbleiben and verbringen refer to permanent "states" while anfangen and ankommen refer to to temporary condtions.
The non-separable ("permanent") prefixes refer to permanent conditions, and the separable prefixes to temporary conditions.
