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How Much Should You Have Saved for College by Age?

There is no single dollar amount every family should have saved at a certain age. Your child’s age tells us how much time remains. Your college-cost goal, funding target, current savings, and assumptions tell us what the number could be for your family.

Age gives us the timeline. The goal gives us the target. Then—and only then—does a monthly number mean something.
1. AgeHow much time is left?
2. GoalWhat college cost are we planning for?
3. GapWhat can current savings cover?
4. MonthlyWhat could close the remaining gap?
Build your number

Start with age. Then make every assumption visible.

CollegeSavingsCalc does not tell every family what it “should” save. It shows what the math looks like for the goal you choose. Don’t take our number on faith—change the assumptions and watch the answer change.

1

Your planning assumptions

Age sets the time remaining.
years
Default: 18
years
Use a preset or enter your own.
$
2025–26 College Board average undergraduate budgets:
Each year is projected separately.
years
This is your planning choice, not our recommendation.
%
Only include money you intend for college.
$
Editable planning assumption—not a promised return.
%
Editable planning assumption—not a forecast.
%
The cost presets use College Board’s 2025–26 average estimated full-time undergraduate budgets: $30,990 public four-year in-state, $50,920 public four-year out-of-state, and $65,470 private nonprofit four-year. These are broad published-budget averages, not what any specific family will pay after aid. View source.
College savings by age

Your goal, translated into age-based checkpoints.

This table does not show what the average family has saved. It shows the balance a level monthly plan begun at birth would have accumulated at each age to reach your selected funding goal by your selected college-start age, using your selected savings-growth assumption.

Child’s ageYears until collegeCheckpoint % of goalAge-based checkpoint

A checkpoint is a mathematical reference point, not a pass/fail grade, national average, recommended minimum, or guarantee. If your plan starts later, the calculator simply shows what the remaining math looks like.

Average vs. your number

“What do families have saved?” is not the same question as “What does my plan require?”

Your useful number is not simply what another family has saved. It is what your selected goal requires with the time you have left.

National averages can provide context, but they cannot tell you whether your family is on track. A family planning to cover part of an in-state public-college budget has a different target from a family planning to cover all costs at a private college.

That is why this page starts with age and then makes the cost goal, funding share, current savings, and growth assumptions visible.

The method

Don’t take our number on faith.

Every major number can be traced to a visible step:

1. Time remainingCollege-start age minus the child’s current age.
2. Future college costEach modeled college year is grown from today’s annual budget using the selected college-cost growth assumption.
3. Funding goalProjected modeled college cost × the percentage you want savings to cover.
4. Current savings at college startCurrent savings are grown over the remaining years using the selected annual savings-growth assumption.
5. Remaining gapFunding goal minus the projected value of current savings.
6. Monthly amountThe level end-of-month contribution that could close the remaining gap by the selected college-start age under the selected savings-growth assumption.
Live example: Change any calculator input above and this explanation updates.
Projected college years

We project each year separately.

Instead of multiplying one future annual cost by four, the model applies the college-cost growth assumption to each modeled year.

College yearYears from nowProjected budget
Projected modeled total$0
Important assumption

This version targets the selected savings share by college start.

For clarity and auditability, the monthly calculation assumes the selected share of the modeled multi-year college cost is accumulated by the selected college-start age. Actual families may pay college costs from a mix of savings, income during the college years, grants, scholarships, student resources, borrowing, and other sources.

Planning estimate, not a prediction. The calculator is intentionally editable because future returns, college prices, aid, and family circumstances are uncertain.
Sources

Where the preset numbers come from.

College Board — Trends in College Pricing 2025Used for 2025–26 average estimated full-time undergraduate budget presets by sector.Open College Board highlights →
College Board — 2025 report releaseProvides current published tuition changes and context about published prices versus net prices after grant aid.Open report summary →
Data/source review: August 7, 2026
What the presets mean

Published budget is not the same as your family’s net price.

College Board’s published budgets include more than tuition and fees. They are useful starting points for a broad planning scenario, but actual costs vary by school and student circumstances. Grant aid and scholarships can also change what a family ultimately pays.

Best use: begin with a preset if you need a starting point, then replace it with a school-specific cost or your own planning estimate when you have better information.

Questions parents actually ask

College savings by age, without the mystery number.

Short answers first. The calculator is there when you want to replace general assumptions with your own numbers.

How much should I have saved for college by my child’s age?

There is no single amount that fits every family. Age determines the time remaining, but a useful dollar target also depends on the college-cost goal, how much of that cost you want savings to cover, current savings, and the growth assumptions you choose.

What is an age-based college savings checkpoint?

On this page, it is the balance a level monthly savings plan begun at birth would have accumulated by the child’s current age to reach your selected funding goal by your selected college-start age, using your selected savings-growth assumption.

Is the checkpoint an average of what families have saved?

No. It is a mathematical planning checkpoint built from your selected goal and assumptions. It is not a household-savings survey and it is not a recommended minimum.

How much should I save each month for college?

A monthly number becomes useful only after the timeline and target are defined. The calculator first uses age to determine the time remaining, then estimates the goal and gap before calculating a monthly amount.

What if I am below the checkpoint?

The checkpoint is not a grade. Being below it means the remaining math changes. You can test a different funding percentage, college-cost scenario, time horizon, current savings amount, or other planning assumption and see how the result changes.

Does CollegeSavingsCalc provide financial advice?

No. This is an educational planning calculator. It does not recommend an investment, account, school, or contribution level.