529 College Savings Calculator
Project what your 529 plan will be worth the day college starts, what four years will actually cost by then, and the monthly contribution that closes the gap. Share your plan with a link.
Your plan
The bill you are saving for
How to use this calculator
1. Set the horizon
Enter your child's age and the calculator assumes freshman year at 18. Override the years field for a gap year, an early start, or a graduate program you are also saving toward — the age field keeps driving everything else, including the ages shown in the year-by-year table.
2. Describe the money going in
Your current balance and monthly contribution are the two levers you control. The return is the one you do not: pick something you would be comfortable defending to yourself in a bad market, then check what a point or two less would do to the projection.
3. Price the school you actually have in mind
Look up the published cost of attendance for a school on your list and use that as today's annual cost — not tuition alone, which leaves out room, board, and fees that a 529 can also pay. The inflation rate then carries that number forward to the year it will really be billed.
4. Explore before you commit
Drag the contribution slider to find a number that is both meaningful and sustainable, and download the year-by-year schedule as a CSV if you want to track your real balance against the plan each January.
529 college savings FAQs
How does this 529 calculator project my balance?
Your current balance compounds monthly at the return you enter, and each monthly contribution is added at the end of its month and compounds from there. The projected balance is the future value of both pieces on the day college starts: balance × (1+i)n plus contribution × ((1+i)n − 1) ÷ i, where i is the monthly return and n is the number of months until matriculation.
How much will college cost when my child enrolls?
Each future year is priced separately. Today's annual cost is inflated forward to the year it is actually billed, so freshman year uses (1+g)n and each later year adds another year of inflation. The four figures are then added together, which is why the projected total is much larger than four times today's sticker price.
What return should I assume for a 529?
Most 529 plans default to an age-based portfolio that starts heavily in stocks and shifts toward bonds and cash as college nears, so the realistic long-run average falls somewhere between a stock return and a bond return. Many families model 5% to 7% and then re-run the numbers at a lower rate to see how much cushion they have if markets disappoint.
What is a realistic college cost inflation rate?
College costs have historically climbed faster than general inflation, which is why 5% is the default here. Lower it to 3% or 4% if you are targeting an in-state public school where the state caps tuition increases, and raise it if you are budgeting for a private school. Inflation is the single input that moves the total cost the most over a long horizon.
What if the calculator says I am behind?
A gap is information, not a verdict. The required monthly figure shows exactly what full funding would take, and the slider lets you find a contribution you can actually sustain. Remember that few families pay the full sticker price: grants, scholarships, work income, and federal aid all reduce the bill, and a partially funded 529 still shrinks the loans your student takes on.
Are 529 withdrawals tax-free?
Earnings grow tax-deferred and come out federally tax-free when the money is spent on qualified education expenses such as tuition, fees, books, required supplies, and room and board for a student enrolled at least half time. Many states add their own deduction or credit for contributions. Withdrawals spent on anything else are taxed on the earnings portion and usually carry a 10% penalty, so confirm the rules for your state plan before you withdraw.
Is this projection a guarantee?
No. It is a straight-line model: a steady return, a steady contribution, and a steady inflation rate. Real markets and real tuition bills are lumpy. Treat the output as a target to steer by and revisit it once a year rather than as a promise about a date fifteen years out.