A familiar situation
A family saving for tuition can enter today’s annual college cost and an assumed increase to estimate a later year’s bill. Housing, aid and school-specific fees may need separate inputs in your wider plan.
How to use this calculator
- Enter amount, annual rate / change, period.
- Select Calculate to see the answer and its breakdown.
- Keep a scenario, change an input and compare the results.
Use consistent units and check the assumptions below before applying the result.
How college cost is calculated
The projection compounds once per year at the rate entered. It does not look up a market yield or official inflation series. Formula: Future annual cost = current annual cost × (1 + assumed increase)^years. Use the displayed details to inspect the intermediate amounts and replace example assumptions with terms from your own quote or records.
Future annual cost = current annual cost × (1 + assumed increase)^years.A $25,000 annual cost rising 4% for 4 years becomes about $29,246 in year four.
Assumptions & useful context
The result depends on the values you enter and the method described above. Displayed numbers may be rounded; calculations use the unrounded values. Check that this model matches your situation before relying on it.
Financial projections use your assumptions. Actual returns, lender terms, fees and tax rules can differ; these results do not guarantee a future outcome.
Frequently asked questions
College Cost Calculator: what does the result include?
Simple interest is computed on the original principal only. Compound interest also earns returns on previously credited interest.
College Cost Calculator: which assumptions matter most?
No. You supply the annual assumption, so the result is a what-if calculation rather than a historical index lookup or bank quote.