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College Savings Calculator

How much should you save for college?

College Savings CalculatorFree · no sign-in required

Use it right here — free, no account needed. Create a free account to save scenarios and put your own branding on the report.

About this calculator

College costs rise faster than general inflation, so the target keeps moving. This calculator projects future tuition for your child's start year and works backward to the monthly savings — and expected growth — needed to get there without scrambling at the last minute.

What it shows you

  • Projected total college cost adjusted for tuition inflation
  • The monthly savings required to fully fund it
  • Growth of a 529 or investment account over time
  • The gap between your current pace and the goal
  • How a lump-sum head start reduces monthly savings

Why it matters

Parents feel college costs as a vague dread. Converting that into a specific monthly number they can act on is the kind of clarity that makes an advisor indispensable to the whole family.