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529 Calculator

Project a 529 college savings plan to enrollment.

How much should I contribute to a 529 plan?
There is no single right amount — it depends on your target school cost, how many years you have until enrollment, and your expected rate of return. This calculator projects a balance from whatever monthly amount you enter, so you can test a few contribution levels against your own goal.

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Enter your numbers and press Calculate to see your results.

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Projecting a 529 to Enrollment

This calculator projects a 529 college savings plan to the year a child starts college, compounding your current balance and monthly contributions at an assumed annual return. It also shows the same result in today’s dollars, since a balance ten or fifteen years from now buys less than the same number does today.

A 529’s core advantage is that growth and withdrawals for qualified education expenses are federal-tax-free. This tool projects the balance itself — not the value of that tax break, which depends on your own tax situation — and the "cost of waiting" comparison shows what starting a year or two later costs in lost growth.

How this is calculated

Balance = current·(1+r/12)^(12t) + monthly·[((1+r/12)^(12t) − 1)/(r/12)], t = years until college

Assumptions

  • The contribution and rate of return stay constant every year until enrollment.
  • Growth and withdrawals for qualified education expenses are federal-tax-free, the core 529 advantage — this calculator projects the balance, not the tax savings, which depend on your own tax situation.
  • Interest compounds monthly.

Frequently asked questions

Does this account for 529 tax benefits?
The projected balance already assumes tax-free growth (no drag from investment taxes along the way), matching how a 529 actually works. It does not estimate any state tax deduction for contributions, which varies by state.
What return should I assume?
Many 529 plans use an age-based portfolio that shifts from stocks toward bonds as enrollment nears, so a single constant rate is a simplification. A lower assumption (5–6%) is more conservative for a plan that de-risks over time.
Why show a "today’s dollars" figure?
College costs rise with inflation too, so a nominal balance ten years out overstates what it will actually buy. The inflation-adjusted figure gives a more realistic sense of purchasing power.

What should you calculate next?

529 Calculator answers one part of the picture. These pick up where it leaves off.

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This calculator provides estimates for educational purposes only and is not personalized financial advice. Rates, taxes, and financial products change — verify with providers and qualified professionals.