College Fund Savings Calculator

Start building your child's college fund today. Calculate how much to save monthly to reach $100,000 over 18 years with compound growth.

The total cost of a four-year public university currently averages $25,000-$30,000 per year including room and board, and education costs have historically risen 3-5% annually. Starting a $100,000 college fund when your child is born gives you the maximum benefit of compound growth over 18 years, and beginning with a $10,000 initial deposit -- perhaps from grandparent gifts or birth savings bonds -- provides a strong foundation that reduces the monthly savings burden significantly.

Savings Goal

How much do you want to save?

Current Savings

What you've already saved toward this goal

Timeframe

years

When do you want to reach your goal?

Expected Annual Return

Interest or investment return rate

Save Per Month

$216

Save Per Week

$50

Save Per Day

Interest will contribute $43,330 toward your goal — that's money earned without any extra effort on your part.

Key Considerations

With $10,000 already invested and an average 7% annual return (typical for a diversified index fund), you need to contribute only about $245 per month over 18 years to reach $100,000 -- compound interest contributes roughly $47,000 of the total.
A 529 college savings plan offers state tax deductions in over 30 states and federal tax-free growth -- on $100,000 in gains, that tax shelter saves approximately $15,000-$22,000 compared to a taxable brokerage account.
Front-loading contributions matters enormously: investing $300 per month for the first 10 years then stopping produces more than investing $300 per month only in the last 10 years, thanks to a decade of extra compounding.
If $100,000 does not cover the full cost by the time your child enrolls, remember that merit scholarships, work-study programs, and community college transfer paths can bridge the gap without student loans.
Reassess your asset allocation as college approaches -- shift from 80% stocks to 60% bonds by age 14 and mostly bonds or stable value funds by age 17 to protect against a market downturn in the year before tuition bills arrive.