Education savings
Compare projected 529 savings with an inflation-adjusted college cost target using your own contribution and return assumptions.
Projected 529 balance
$139,496.03
Modeled college target
$199,808.82
Funding ratio
69.81%
Modeled funding gap
$60,312.79
First-year college cost
$49,952.21
Result comparison
The calculator does not determine qualified expenses, state tax benefits, investment options or current plan limits.
Calculation method
Savings use monthly compound growth. The target multiplies the first future annual cost by the number of college years as a simplified planning total.
Detailed guide
A 529 calculator is most useful when it shows both sides of the plan. This page grows the current balance and monthly contributions until college age, while separately increasing today’s annual college cost by the education-inflation assumption.
The funding ratio compares the two results. It is not a recommendation to fund every future expense from one account. Scholarships, grants, cash flow during college and changes in the chosen school can all change the target.
Savings use monthly compound growth. The target multiplies the first future annual cost by the number of college years as a simplified planning total.
This simplification does not stagger each tuition payment or vary costs by year. Change the annual-cost input to test public, private, in-state or other scenarios using figures you trust.
Decision guide
Leading 529 calculators ask about the child’s age, years of attendance, current savings, monthly contributions, and the share of costs the family wants to cover. A useful plan distinguishes rising education costs from the return earned inside the account.
The target may cover tuition only or include housing, food, books, and other expenses. Estimate the number of years and the percentage your savings should provide. Scholarships, grants, and family cash flow can be modeled separately instead of being assumed.
College costs and investments do not grow at the same guaranteed rate. Enter distinct assumptions and test a faster-cost-growth case. As enrollment approaches, a lower-risk allocation may imply a lower expected return.
Tax treatment, qualified expenses, investment choices, and state benefits depend on current rules and the selected plan. The calculator estimates growth from your inputs; confirm eligibility and withdrawal treatment with official plan information.
A shortfall may require more current income, aid, borrowing, or a less expensive school. A surplus can be subject to account-specific options and restrictions. Run both cases and review current plan rules rather than assuming every unused dollar can be redirected without consequence.
Save a baseline, then change only one input at a time: amount, rate, term, or recurring payment. Record the supporting outputs as well as the headline result—contributions, interest, total cost, remaining balance, or target date. This isolates the assumption that actually changes the decision instead of hiding it inside several simultaneous edits.
Do not tune every assumption until the calculator produces a preferred answer. Start with a cautious case, follow with a central case, and treat the favorable case as an upside scenario. A calculator result is not a lender quote, market forecast, or tax determination; actual dates, rounding, fees, contract rules, and required payments must be checked in primary documents.
Keep enough precision in the inputs and round only the output used for a decision. If the estimate supports a transaction, loan, tax calculation, or long-term plan, repeat it with figures from the contract or official statement. Any difference helps identify the assumption that still needs verification.
College costs have not followed one fixed rate. Test a range instead of relying on one optimistic assumption.
A portfolio may become more conservative as enrollment approaches. The constant return does not model an age-based allocation.
Qualified expenses, state deductions and rollover rules vary and can change. They are not inferred by this calculator.
No. State rules differ, and this page uses only the savings and cost assumptions you enter.
Use a current annual estimate appropriate to your scenario and include only the categories you intend to fund.
The calculation applies the selected education-inflation rate for every year until college begins.
These primary sources explain the rules and concepts referenced by this calculator. The calculation itself uses only the assumptions entered above.
Updated: August 1, 2026
Useful comparisons
Estimate future value with monthly contributions, flexible compounding frequency and contribution timing.
Find the monthly contribution required to reach a target amount by a chosen date.
Project a Roth IRA balance from current savings, monthly contributions, time and an assumed annual return.