College Cost Calculator
Project what college will really cost once tuition inflation is factored in, grow your current savings to enrollment, and find the monthly contribution needed to close the gap before classes start.
Cost & timeline
Savings
How to use this calculator
1. Enter today's cost and inflation
Put in the current annual all-in cost (tuition, fees, room and board) and an expected college inflation rate. 5% is a common planning assumption, since college costs tend to outrun general inflation.
2. Set the timeline
Enter how many years until enrollment and how many years of attendance you're funding. Each attendance year is inflated separately, so a four-year degree captures rising costs across all four years.
3. Add your savings and return
Enter what you've already saved and the annual return you expect to earn on it. The calculator grows that balance to the enrollment date before measuring the gap.
4. Read the monthly target
The last card shows the level monthly contribution needed to cover the shortfall by enrollment. To weigh the payoff of a degree against its price, see the College ROI calculator.
About college cost planning
Why does projected college cost grow so much?
College prices have historically risen faster than general inflation, often around 5% a year. Compounded over a decade or more, that turns today's sticker price into a much larger number by the time your student enrolls.
How is the required monthly contribution calculated?
The tool projects each year's tuition, grows your current savings to enrollment, and finds the gap. It then solves a future-value-of-an-annuity formula for the level monthly deposit — earning your expected return — that closes that shortfall by the time school starts.
A simplifying assumption
For clarity this model funds the full projected cost by the enrollment date rather than spreading payments across the college years, and it doesn't subtract grants, scholarships, or financial aid. Treat the result as a conservative savings target.