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College Savings (529) Calculator

529 contributions vs projected tuition with inflation.

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Coverage of projected college cost

Not fully covered

38%

$87,246 saved vs $229,429 projected cost · 15 years to college
Saved by college
$87,246
Projected cost
$229,429

$54,028/yr at start

Shortfall
$142,184

To cover 100%, save $789/mo ($489/mo more than now).

$300 a month grows to $87,246 by age 18, against $229,429 for 4 years once tuition inflation (4%/yr) is included — a $142,184 gap.

Try a what-if

Your 529 vs the projected costBy your child's age; dashed line = 4 years of college at inflated prices.
3456789101112131415161718$0$60K$120K$180K$240KShortfall $142,184
  • Contributions
  • Growth
  • College Cost

Your numbers

Age 3

Starts at 18

$300/mo

$0

$30,000/yr (in-state ≈$30K, OOS ≈$45K, private ≈$65K+)

Years, return & tuition inflation4 yrs of school · 6% return · 4% inflation

4 years

6% return

4% / year

Default 4%College Board — Trends in College Pricing 2025as of AY 2025-26 (Nov 2025 publication)

Next steps

The 529 College Savings Calculator projects monthly contributions through tax-free growth, then compares the ending balance to projected college costs (inflated annually at the College Board's long-run tuition inflation rate by default, cited inline below the inflation field). 529 contributions grow tax-free; qualified withdrawals for tuition, fees, room & board, books, and computers are tax-free. Under SECURE 2.0, unused 529 funds can roll up to $35K (lifetime) into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary after the account is 15+ years old.

How this calculator works

  1. Enter your current 529 balance and your planned monthly contribution.
  2. Set your child's current age and the age college starts (usually 18).
  3. Estimate annual cost in TODAY's dollars: in-state public ≈ $30K, out-of-state public ≈ $45K, private ≈ $65K+. The calculator inflates these forward.
  4. Adjust expected return (6% reasonable default for an age-based 529 portfolio mixing stocks and bonds) and tuition inflation (College Board long-run, cited inline beneath the field).
  5. The 'Coverage' metric shows whether you're on track, and the line beneath it shows the monthly amount that would cover 100%.

savings = P × (1 + i)^n + C × [((1 + i)^n − 1) / i], i = r/12, n = 12 × years_to_college projected_cost = Σ (k = 0 … years_at_college − 1) cost_today × (1 + inflation)^(years_to_college + k) C_needed = (projected_cost − P × (1 + i)^n) × i / ((1 + i)^n − 1)

Compound the 529 contributions monthly at r/12 until college starts. Separately inflate the present-day annual cost forward at the College Board's historical tuition inflation rate — and keep inflating it through each year of school, so year two costs more than year one. Coverage = savings ÷ projected cost. C_needed solves the same future-value formula for the monthly contribution that covers 100%; if you're short, that's the gap to close via higher contributions or alternative funding (scholarships, loans, cash flow).

P
Current 529 balance
C
Monthly contribution
r
Expected annual return (6% for a balanced age-based portfolio)
cost_today
Annual college cost in today's dollars
inflation
Tuition inflation rate (College Board long-run, see source beneath the field)
years_to_college
Time until college starts
years_at_college
Number of years attending

Frequently asked questions

What are 529 plans?

Tax-advantaged state-sponsored education savings accounts. Contributions grow tax-free, withdrawals are tax-free when used for qualified education expenses (tuition, fees, room & board, books). Most states offer a tax deduction for contributions to that state's plan.

What if my kid doesn't go to college?

Options: (1) transfer to another family member; (2) hold for grad school later; (3) under SECURE 2.0, roll up to $35K (lifetime) into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary, after the account is 15+ years old; (4) withdraw non-qualified (pay tax + 10% penalty on earnings).

How much should I save monthly?

There's no one number — it depends on whether you're targeting in-state public ($25-30K/year today), out-of-state public ($45K/year), or private ($65K+/year). The calculator works backward from your target: under the coverage figure it shows the monthly amount that covers 100% of the projected cost, given the years until college and your expected return.

Sources used in this calculator

Reviewed by the Money Scale editorial team. How we source our data

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