Most savings calculators assume the thing you’re saving for stays put in today’s dollars. College costs don’t — they’ve historically risen faster than general inflation, which is exactly the gap our college savings calculator is built to show.
- Two rates, tracked separately — your investment return grows your savings; a distinct college-cost-inflation rate grows the price tag. The calculator never conflates the two.
- A real gap or surplus — see whether your current plan is on track for the actual future cost, not today’s number.
- Shareable — your child’s age, contribution, and assumptions live in the link.
- Private — the math runs in your browser. We never see your numbers.
Starting from $5,000 with $200/month at a 6% return, a 13-year runway to college grows the fund to $57,975.65 — but a $100,000 cost estimate growing at 5% college-specific inflation becomes a $188,564.91 target by then. Seeing that gap early is what makes it possible to close. The tool is also embeddable if you write about family finance.