Cost calculators
Estimate college costs
When it comes to understanding your costs for college, there are many different tools and calculators available. It’s important to understand the differences between the tools. The most popular calculators are below.
Cost of attendance
The cost of attendance calculator gives you an estimate of the total cost of attending a particular school for one academic year before financial aid is applied. The COA includes tuition and fees, housing and food, books, course materials, supplies and equipment, transportation and personal expenses. It also takes into account your residency, major and campus.
529 plan savings calculator
For families who have been saving for college using a 529 college savings plan, these calculators can help estimate the future value of the plan and assess whether it will cover college expenses.
Tuition estimator/calculator
If you want a quick estimate of tuition and fees for a specific school, you can use their tuition estimator or tuition calculator. These tools are helpful first steps in finding out how affordable each school is and what fits within your budget.
Loan repayment calculator
This type of calculator helps students and graduates estimate their monthly loan payments after graduation based on the amount borrowed, interest rates and the chosen repayment plan. It can be useful for understanding the financial impact of student loans.
Net price calculator
Each school will have their own net price calculator. It will give you an estimate of how much financial aid you might be eligible for and what costs will be left for you to cover after that aid is applied. Note that these are all estimates and your actual costs and financial aid may vary.
Scholarship estimator
A school’s scholarship estimator can give you an idea of what merit scholarships you may qualify for based on factors like GPA, class rank, test scores and residency.
