Tuition Calculator

The tuition calculator projects what college will cost when enrollment starts, not what it costs today. It takes today's annual tuition, grows it by the yearly increase rate until enrollment, and then grows it further for each year of study, because tuition keeps rising while you are enrolled. You get the projected first-year tuition, the total cost of the degree, and the cost of every year in between.

1. Enter today's annual tuition in dollars, for example 20000.
2. Enter how many years remain until enrollment, for example 10.
3. Enter how many years you plan to study, usually 4 for a bachelor's degree.
4. Keep the 5% annual increase rate or type in your own figure.
5. Press Calculate to see the first-year projection, the total, and the year-by-year breakdown.

Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or saved anywhere.

The calculator uses compound growth, the same math behind savings and investments. For each study year i, the cost of that year = current tuition x (1 + rate)^(years until enrollment + i), where i is 0 for the first year, 1 for the second, and so on. The total cost is the sum of all the study years. Each year is compounded to its own due date, because tuition does not freeze on enrollment day.

The variables are current tuition, which is today's annual tuition in dollars; rate, which is the yearly increase as a decimal, so 5% becomes 0.05; years until enrollment, which is the whole number of years from now to the first tuition bill; and i, the study year counting from zero. If you are saving for this bill, the compound interest calculator shows how your savings grow on the same math in reverse.

Today's annual tuition is $20,000, enrollment starts in 10 years, tuition rises 5% a year, and the degree takes 4 years. Here is what the calculator does with those numbers.

1. Year 1: 20,000 x 1.05^10 = 20,000 x 1.6289 = $32,577.89
2. Year 2: 20,000 x 1.05^11 = $34,206.79
3. Year 3: 20,000 x 1.05^12 = $35,917.13
4. Year 4: 20,000 x 1.05^13 = $37,712.98
5. Total: $32,577.89 + $34,206.79 + $35,917.13 + $37,712.98 = $140,414.79

The same four years cost $80,000 at today's prices. Ten years of 5% compounding adds $60,414.79 to the bill, which is why starting from today's sticker price always underestimates the real cost.

The increase rate is the most sensitive input in the whole projection. Over a decade, two points of difference change the four-year bill by tens of thousands of dollars, as the same example shows.

The 5% default is an honest long-run planning figure. The College Board's Trends in College Pricing series reports that published tuition has risen faster than general consumer inflation over the long run, and recent 2025-26 data shows 2.9% at public four-year schools and 4.0% at private nonprofits, so 5% sits on the conservative side. Run 3, 5, and 7% scenarios to see your real range instead of trusting a single guess. If borrowing covers part of the gap, the loan calculator breaks down what the borrowed part costs each month.

This projects tuition only. Room and board, books, fees, and personal expenses sit on top, and at many schools they exceed tuition itself. Grants, scholarships, and financial aid come off the bottom, so most families pay less than the sticker total. The calculator also assumes one constant rate, while real tuition moves year to year.

This is an estimate for planning. Actual tuition is set by the school. See our disclaimer. For college planning that starts with the student side, the GPA calculator tracks the grades that scholarships reward, and the percentage calculator handles quick percent changes on any figure.