Calculators
529 College Savings Calculator
Project 529 plan savings by the time a child starts college, compare them with projected costs and find the monthly saving needed.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing uploaded
The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Setting a college savings plan
- Checking progress each year
- Grandparent contributions
- Comparing savings targets
About this tool
What the 529 College Savings Calculator does
A 529 plan lets savings for education grow tax-free when used for qualified expenses. Projecting the account to the college start date and comparing it with the projected cost, which rises with college inflation, shows whether you are on track and how much to save each month.
Formula
- Projected = current × (1 + r)^n + monthly × ((1 + r)^n − 1) ÷ r
- Goal = today’s cost × (1 + college inflation)^years × target share
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Child’s current age | 5 |
| Age starting college | 18 |
| Current 529 balance | $10,000 |
| Monthly contribution | $250 |
| Expected annual return | 6% |
| Total college cost in today’s money | $120,000 |
| College cost inflation | 4% |
| Share of cost you aim to save | 100% |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Projected 529 balance | $80,634 |
| Projected savings goal | $199,809 |
| Shortfall (negative = ahead) | $119,175 |
| Monthly contribution to reach the goal | $756 |
| Years until college | 13 |
How to read the result
Many states offer a tax deduction or credit for contributions to their own 529 plan.
Age-based portfolios reduce risk as college approaches; expect lower returns in the final years.
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Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
A US tax-advantaged account for education savings; qualified withdrawals are tax-free.
Enough to cover the share of expected costs you want to pay from savings.
You can change the beneficiary, and limited rollovers to a Roth IRA may be possible under current rules.
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