College Cost Calculator

Estimate total cost, net cost, and out-of-pocket for college with yearly inflation and aid.

How to Use

  1. Enter your years in school and starting year (optional label).
  2. Fill in annual costs (tuition/fees, room/board, books, transportation, personal, other).
  3. Set annual inflation (cost increase) and optionally separate tuition inflation.
  4. Add aid (scholarships, grants, loans, work-study, savings contribution).
  5. Open Show Work for year-by-year breakdown, then use Share Link if you want a URL that restores inputs.
Summary
Totals update as you type. No data leaves your browser.
Total Cost
—
Net Cost
—
Out-of-Pocket
—
Costs (all categories) —
Gift Aid (scholarships + grants) —
Non-Gift Funding (loans + work + savings) —
What the totals mean
  • Total Cost: all expenses across all years (with inflation).
  • Net Cost: total cost minus scholarships + grants (gift aid).
  • Out-of-Pocket: net cost minus loans/work-study/savings (your remaining gap).
Inputs & Settings
Enter annual amounts. Inflation escalates costs year-by-year.
Common: 2 (associate), 4 (bachelor), 5–6 (extended)
Optional: used for the breakdown table headings
Formatting only. Assumes all inputs are in the same currency.
Applies to room/board, books, transportation, personal, other (and tuition unless overridden)
Costs (Annual)
Include tuition + mandatory fees
Leave blank to use the general inflation rate
Dorm/apartment + meal plan/groceries
Books, software, lab supplies
Commute, gas, parking, flights home
Clothing, phone, misc
Application fees, equipment, etc.
Laptop, move-in, initial deposits
Aid & Funding (Annual unless noted)
Gift aid (does not need repayment)
Gift aid (federal/state/institution)
Borrowed funds (repayment not modeled here)
Money used to pay expenses during school
Amount from savings you plan to spend each year
Optional: applied in Year 1 only
If checked, annual scholarships/grants/loans/work/savings annual scale each year using the general inflation rate.
Show Work (year-by-year breakdown)
—
Year Costs Gift Aid Other Funding Out-of-Pocket
Enter values to populate.
Notes: This tool estimates school-period costs. Loan interest/repayment after graduation is not modeled.

Reference

  • Total annual cost (Year n): sum of each cost category escalated by inflation.
  • Gift aid: scholarships + grants.
  • Net cost: total cost − gift aid.
  • Out-of-pocket: net cost − (loans + work-study + savings contribution).

FAQ

Is this “sticker price” or “net price”?

Both. You enter sticker-price expenses, then enter gift aid to estimate net cost.

Do loans reduce cost?

Loans reduce out-of-pocket during school, but repayment isn’t modeled here. Use a loan calculator to model repayment later.

What inflation should I use?

Use your best estimate for annual cost increases. You can set a separate tuition inflation if tuition rises faster than other costs.

Tool Info

Last updated:

Updates may include additional aid types, better share presets, and edge-case handling.