- Average Cost of Public and Private Colleges
Projected average cost (tuition, books, room and board) of four years at colleges and universities across the country. Assumes an inflation rate of 7% in college costs.
Find your child's or grandchild's age in the left-hand column and read across.
| Current Age of Child | Amount You Will Need for Public College/University | Amount You Will Need for Private College/University |
| 1 | $ 137,314 | $ 279,422 |
| 2 | $ 128,331 | $ 261,142 |
| 3 | $ 119,935 | $ 244,058 |
| 4 | $ 112,089 | $ 228,092 |
| 5 | $ 104,756 | $ 213,170 |
| 6 | $ 97,903 | $ 199,224 |
| 7 | $ 91,498 | $ 186,191 |
| 8 | $ 85,512 | $ 174,010 |
| 9 | $ 79,918 | $ 162,626 |
| 10 | $ 74,690 | $ 151,987 |
| 11 | $ 69,803 | $ 142,044 |
| 12 | $ 65,237 | $ 132,752 |
| 13 | $ 60,969 | $ 124,067 |
| 14 | $ 56,980 | $ 115,950 |
| 15 | $ 53,253 | $ 108,365 |
| 16 | $ 49,769 | $ 101,276 |
| 17 | $ 46,513 | $ 94,650 |
| 18 | $ 43,470 | $ 88,458 |
