Free 529 College Savings Plan Calculator
Published: 10 November 2026 · Updated: 10 November 2026
Saving $300 a month from age 5, with $5,000 already saved, grows to about $81,520 by age 18 at 6% a year — against a four-year college bill of about $184,314 at 3% tuition inflation. Enter your own numbers below for your family's figure.
Starting early beats saving harder later. A $95,000 superfunded gift at birth grows to about $278,993 by 18 — enough to cover the whole degree — while the same money started at age 10 reaches only about $153,000. The calculator below shows your own gap and the monthly figure that closes it.
Researched by MixKhazana Team · Last updated 10 November 2026 · Data: IRS gift-tax rules 2026 + SECURE 2.0 Act (Roth IRA rollover) + One Big Beautiful Bill (K-12 cap)
How to use
- Enter your child's current age and the age they will start college.
- Add what is already saved and your monthly contribution.
- Set the annual return (6% pre-filled) and today's annual college cost with tuition inflation (3% pre-filled).
- Click Calculate My College Fund for your projected fund, the future four-year cost, and the monthly saving needed to cover it.
How it works
A 529 plan is the US tax-advantaged way to save for college: the money grows tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified education expenses — tuition, fees, books, room and board — come out tax-free too. The maths is compound growth on two streams: your existing balance grows at the annual return, and each monthly contribution compounds from the month you make it. This calculator runs both streams to the college start age, then inflates today's annual college cost forward at your tuition-inflation rate and adds up four years of it. The gap between the two numbers is the honest answer to "are we saving enough?" If the answer is no, the calculator also shows the monthly figure that would close it. The same compounding drives the compound interest calculator if you want to play with the growth alone.
The tax rules are the reason 529s beat a plain savings account. In 2026 you can gift $19,000 a year per child into a 529 without touching the federal gift-tax exclusion — $38,000 for a married couple. Grandparents can superfund: up to $95,000 at once ($190,000 joint) by filing IRS Form 709 and electing to treat it as five years of $19,000 gifts. Since the One Big Beautiful Bill passed in 2025, the K-12 withdrawal cap doubled to $20,000 a year per beneficiary. And under the SECURE 2.0 Act, up to $35,000 of leftover funds can roll into the beneficiary's own Roth IRA over their lifetime, as long as the 529 is at least 15 years old and each year's rollover stays within the annual Roth IRA limit ($7,500 for 2026). There is no federal deduction for contributions — the break is on growth and withdrawals — but many states offer their own deduction. If college is still years away, the Roth IRA calculator shows what the same money does for retirement.
The honest simplification: this calculator assumes a steady return and steady tuition inflation, and neither is steady in real life. Returns bounce year to year, tuition inflation has run above 3% in many years, and the plan's fees shave the result. Run the numbers at 4% and 8% returns and at 2% and 4% tuition inflation to see the range before you commit to a monthly figure — and revisit the plan every year as the child grows.
Worked example
The Patel family starts saving when their daughter is 5, with $5,000 already in the 529, $300 a month, a 6% annual return, and today's college cost of $30,000 a year rising at 3%:
- Years to grow: 18 − 5 = 13 years (156 months)
- Projected fund at 18: $81,520 ($5,000 grown to $10,886 + $300 a month grown to $70,634)
- First-year cost at 18: $30,000 × 1.03^13 = $44,056
- Four-year total: $184,314 — a gap of $102,794
- Monthly saving needed to cover it in full from age 5: $736.59
Now the grandparent move: superfund $95,000 at birth instead. At 6% a year for 18 years it grows to about $278,993 — against a four-year bill of about $213,670 for a child born today (first year $51,073 at 3% inflation). The superfunded plan covers the whole degree with roughly $65,000 to spare, which can then roll toward a Roth IRA. Starting early beats saving harder later: the same $95,000 contributed at age 10 would reach only about $153,000 by 18. Try the widget with your own child's age to see your version.
2026 figures used here
| Figure | 2026 value |
|---|---|
| Annual gift-tax exclusion (per giver, per child) | $19,000 |
| Superfunding, single giver | $95,000 (5 × $19,000) |
| Superfunding, married couple | $190,000 |
| K-12 withdrawal cap | $20,000/year |
| Roth IRA rollover, lifetime cap | $35,000 |
| Roth IRA rollover, annual limit | $7,500 |
| 529 account age for Roth rollover | At least 15 years |
Answer block: the 529 plan in one paragraph
A 529 plan grows tax-free and pays out tax-free for qualified education costs, and in 2026 you can contribute $19,000 per child per year without gift tax, or superfund up to $95,000 at once ($190,000 for a married couple) by filing IRS Form 709 (IRS gift-tax rules, 2026). Since the One Big Beautiful Bill, up to $20,000 a year can be withdrawn tax-free for K-12 costs, and under the SECURE 2.0 Act up to $35,000 of leftover funds can roll into the beneficiary's Roth IRA over their lifetime. Saving $300 a month from age 5 at 6% a year reaches about $81,520 by 18 — against a four-year bill of about $184,314 at 3% tuition inflation.
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Frequently asked questions
How much should I save each month for my child's college?
It depends on the child's age and the college you expect. With the defaults on this page — a 5-year-old, $5,000 saved, $300 a month at 6% a year — you reach about $81,520 by age 18, against a four-year bill of about $184,314 at 3% tuition inflation. To cover that bill in full you would need about $736.59 a month from age 5. Start earlier and the monthly number falls fast: the same goal from birth needs far less per month than from age 10.
What is 529 superfunding?
Superfunding is front-loading five years of gift-tax exclusions into a 529 plan at once. In 2026 the annual gift-tax exclusion is $19,000 per giver per beneficiary, so one person can contribute up to $95,000 in a single year — $190,000 for a married couple splitting gifts — by filing IRS Form 709 and electing to treat it as five years of $19,000 gifts. You cannot then make further annual-exclusion gifts to that child for five years.
What happens to leftover 529 money if my child does not need it?
You have three good options. Under the SECURE 2.0 Act you can roll up to $35,000 in total, over your lifetime, from the 529 into the beneficiary's own Roth IRA — tax- and penalty-free — as long as the 529 account is at least 15 years old and the rollover stays within the annual Roth IRA contribution limit ($7,500 for 2026). You can also change the beneficiary to another family member, or withdraw the money and pay income tax plus a 10% penalty on the earnings only.
Can I use a 529 plan for K-12 school?
Yes. Since the One Big Beautiful Bill passed in 2025, you can withdraw up to $20,000 a year per beneficiary, tax-free, for K-12 tuition and qualified expenses — doubled from the old $10,000 cap. The same account can also pay for apprenticeship programmes and, up to $10,000 in total, student-loan repayment.
Are 529 contributions tax-deductible?
Not on your federal return — there is no federal deduction for 529 contributions. The tax break is on the other end: the money grows tax-free and withdrawals for qualified education expenses are tax-free too. Many states do offer a deduction or credit for contributions to their own state's plan, so check your own state's rules before you pick a plan.
What if my child gets a scholarship?
A scholarship does not strand the money. You can withdraw up to the scholarship amount from the 529 without the 10% penalty (you still pay income tax on the earnings portion), change the beneficiary to a sibling, or keep the account for graduate school. The Roth IRA rollover is another exit for the leftover balance.
What return should I assume for a 529 plan?
This calculator pre-fills 6% a year — a common long-term planning assumption for an age-based portfolio that starts aggressive and turns conservative as college nears. It is not a guarantee: real returns vary year to year, and the plan's fees matter too. Run the numbers at 4% and 8% as well to see the range before you commit to a monthly figure.