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College Cost Calculator

The full cost of a degree, and what to save each month.

Calculators Reviews Free · no sign-up
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Year of studyCost that yearLess aidCumulative

Total cost of the degree

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—

Cost in the first year—
Inflation adds—
Net of expected aid—
Monthly saving needed—
Your current plan reaches—
Shortfall—
Extra needed per month—

Quick Tool Overview

The College Cost Calculator inflates today tuition forward to what a course will actually cost when it is due, then works out the monthly saving needed to meet it. Education inflation is a separate input because it has historically outpaced general inflation.

What it does
Projects total college cost and the saving needed to cover it
You give it
Current annual cost, years until enrolment and course length
You get back
The inflated total cost and the monthly saving required
Best for
Planning education saving early enough to matter
Calculators Free, unlimited use No sign-up Runs in your browser

About the College Cost Calculator

Enter the current annual cost, the years until enrolment and the length of the course, and the calculator inflates tuition forward to give the total cost by the time it is actually due. It then works out the monthly saving required to meet it.

Tuition inflation is what makes this different from a generic savings projection. College costs have historically risen faster than general inflation, so a figure quoted today understates what a course will cost a child starting in fifteen years, often substantially. The calculator applies a separate education inflation rate against your investment return, and reports the shortfall between what you are saving and what is needed, which is the number worth acting on while there is still time to act.

Key features of the College Cost Calculator

Education inflation separated

Tuition has risen faster than general prices, so using one rate for both understates the target badly.

Monthly saving calculated

The actionable number, rather than a large total with no plan attached to it.

Shortfall against current saving

The gap between what you put away now and what is needed, while there is still time to close it.

Multi-year courses

Costs continue inflating during the course, which a single-year projection misses.

Investment return modelled

Savings grow while costs rise, and the calculator races the two against each other.

How to use the College Cost Calculator

  1. 1

    Enter the current cost

    Annual tuition, fees, room and board as they stand today.

  2. 2

    Set the timeline

    Years until enrolment and the number of years the course runs for.

  3. 3

    Set the inflation and return

    Education cost inflation, and the return you expect on savings.

  4. 4

    Read the monthly saving

    What you need to put away each month, and any gap against what you save now.

Frequently asked questions

Historically faster than general inflation, often by a couple of percentage points a year. Over a fifteen-year horizon that compounds into a very large difference, which is why using general inflation understates the target badly.

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