College Savings Calculator

Start with your child's age and the age they will enroll, 18 by default. Then choose In-State, Out-of-State or Private to load a starting four-year total of $105,000, $175,000 or $230,000, and change that figure to match the schools you have in mind. Add your current savings, your monthly contribution, an expected yearly return (7% by default) and a yearly tuition inflation rate (5% by default).

The math is plain compounding. Your balance and your monthly deposits earn the return you enter, compounded monthly, until enrollment. The cost rises by the inflation rate once a year. The tool also splits your final balance into the money you put in and the growth it earned. Over ten or fifteen years, small changes to the return or the monthly amount move the result a lot, so try several scenarios.

Know the limits. The tool raises today's cost up to the first year of college and doesn't keep raising prices during the four years you pay them, so real bills may run higher. It covers one child, ignores scholarships and financial aid, and stops adding deposits at enrollment. The tax figure is a rough estimate that assumes a flat 15% tax on investment growth. Your real savings depend on your state, your tax bracket and the account you use.

A 529 plan is a US savings account whose growth is tax-free when you spend it on qualified education costs. Federal rules also let you use up to $20,000 a year of 529 money on K-12 tuition starting in 2026, and let some unused funds roll into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary, up to a lifetime limit. State rules differ, so check your plan. Everything you enter stays in your browser, and the tool doesn't save it.