"How much will college cost?" needs an answer for a date years in the future, not today's sticker price — and tuition doesn't stop rising once a student enrolls.
Future college cost projection calculator, why the math compounds twice
Today's average public in-state 4-year cost is $30,990/year (tuition, fees, room & board), rising by roughly 2.9-4% annually in recent years. A student enrolling in 10 years faces a first-year cost of $45,872.77 — and each subsequent year of their four years costs more still, since tuition keeps rising through their sophomore, junior, and senior years too.
How much will college cost calculator, the full 4-year total
Adding up all four projected years (not just multiplying the first year by four) gives a realistic total: $194,797.07 for a full 4-year public in-state program enrolling 10 years from now, at a 4% annual increase rate.
College savings gap calculator, closing the loop
Against that $194,797.07 target, $5,000 already saved plus $300/month at a 6% return grows to $58,506.61 over the same 10 years — leaving a $136,290.46 gap. Seeing the actual shortfall (or surplus) in dollars, rather than just the cost projection alone, makes it possible to adjust contributions before enrollment, not after.
