College Savings Calculator: Project a 529 Plan Balance
Project how a college fund could grow between now and the year a child starts school, given a starting balance and steady monthly saving.
Adjust the inputs and select Calculate for a full breakdown.
Year-by-year growth schedule
Compare Common Scenarios
How the numbers shift across typical situations for this calculator:
| Scenario | Future value | Total contributions | Total interest earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5k · $250/mo · 7% · 18yr | $125,242.95 | $59,000.00 | $66,242.95 |
| $0 · $400/mo · 6% · 15yr | $116,327.48 | $72,000.00 | $44,327.48 |
| $20k · $150/mo · 8% · 10yr | $71,834.71 | $38,000.00 | $33,834.71 |
| $2k · $300/mo · 7% · 12yr | $72,029.94 | $45,200.00 | $26,829.94 |
How This Calculator Works
Enter the current balance, the average annual return you expect, the years until college, and your monthly contribution. The calculator compounds the balance monthly and adds each contribution, producing an estimated balance for the start of college and the share built by investment growth.
The Formula
Future Value with Regular Contributions
P = starting amount, PMT = monthly contribution, r = monthly rate (annual ÷ 12), n = number of months
Worked Example
With $5,000 saved, $250 added monthly, and a 7% average return over 18 years, the fund reaches about $125,200. Contributions account for $59,000 of that; the remaining $66,200 is investment growth from starting early.
Key Insight
The years before a child turns ten do the heaviest lifting, because those dollars compound the longest. A 529 plan also lets the growth be withdrawn tax-free for qualified education costs, which the raw projection does not capture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 529 plan?
A 529 is a tax-advantaged account for education costs. Investments grow tax-free, and qualified withdrawals for tuition and other eligible expenses are not taxed.
What return should I assume?
Many 529 plans use age-based portfolios that start stock-heavy and grow conservative as college nears. A long horizon supports a return near the cited market benchmark; a near-term one supports less.
How much will college actually cost?
Costs vary enormously by institution and rise faster than general inflation. Treat this projection as the savings side and compare it against current published costs grown forward.
What if the balance falls short?
Savings rarely cover the full cost. The projection shows the gap early, when raising the monthly contribution or extending the horizon still has time to help.
What if the child does not attend college?
529 funds can often be moved to another beneficiary or used for other qualified paths. Non-qualified withdrawals are taxed and penalized on the growth portion.
Related Calculators
Data Sources & Benchmarks
This calculator draws on 3 independent, dated sources. The starting values for expected annual return are taken from the benchmarks below and refresh whenever the snapshots are updated.
Methodology & Review
The projection compounds the balance monthly at a constant expected return and adds a fixed monthly contribution. It excludes plan fees and tax effects, and assumes contributions are invested as made.
Written by Ugo Candido · Last updated May 17, 2026.