What is 529 'superfunding'?

A special election that lets a contributor treat a lump-sum gift of up to 5 years' worth of the annual gift tax exclusion as spread evenly over 5 years for gift-tax purposes — letting you front-load significant 529 contributions ($95,000 single, $190,000 married for 2026) without triggering gift tax filing in the contribution year.

What if my child doesn't go to college or I save too much?

You can change the beneficiary to another qualifying family member penalty-free, or (since the SECURE 2.0 Act, starting 2024) roll a limited amount of unused funds into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary, subject to specific conditions and limits.

Does this account for state tax benefits?

No — many states offer a deduction or credit for contributions to their own 529 plan, but the specifics vary entirely by state. Check your state's plan details separately; this calculator models only the federal tax-free-growth benefit, which applies regardless of state.

Does this compound monthly or annually?

Monthly — the calculator applies your annual return rate divided by 12 to the balance each month, then adds that month's contribution, repeated until the enrollment year you enter.

What happens if I set years until enrollment to 0?

The projected balance just equals your current balance, with no growth or contributions added — there's no time left for the monthly compounding loop to run.

Does entering a savings goal change the projected balance?

No — the goal only affects the 'still needed' gap figure, calculated separately as your goal minus the projected balance (floored at $0). It doesn't feed back into how the balance itself grows.

Does this calculator model the 5-year superfunding lump sum directly?

No — it only takes a steady monthly contribution. To approximate superfunding a lump sum, divide the amount you'd contribute upfront across the 60 months it technically represents and enter that as your monthly contribution instead.

What if my monthly contribution is $0?

The projected balance still grows from investment returns compounding on your current balance alone — total contributed stays equal to whatever you entered as your starting balance, with all further growth coming from returns.

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Finance

529 College Savings Calculator

Project a 529 plan's growth toward a college savings goal.

🔒 Runs entirely in your browser — nothing here is ever uploaded

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Last reviewed 2026-08-25

About the 529 College Savings Calculator

Projects the growth of a 529 college savings plan from your current balance, monthly contribution, and expected return, and shows how much more you'd need to reach an optional savings goal.

100% Free Runs in Your Browser No Sign-Up Required

How to use it

Enter your Current 529 balance and Monthly contribution.
Enter the Years until enrollment and your Expected annual return.
Optionally enter a Savings goal to see the remaining gap.
Read your projected balance, total contributed, and investment growth in the result panel and chart.

Formula

Balance grows monthly as: balance × (1 + monthly return) + monthly contribution, compounded across the number of months until enrollment.

529 plans grow federally tax-free, and withdrawals are also federal-tax-free when used for qualified education expenses (tuition, fees, room and board, and more) — the core reason a 529 is generally favored over a taxable account for this specific goal, per IRS and SEC investor-education guidance.

Worked example

A $5,000 current balance contributing $250/month for 15 years at an assumed 6% annual return grows to roughly $85,000 — $50,000 of that from contributions and about $35,000 from investment growth — comfortably clearing an $80,000 goal.

Interpreting your result

Contributions to a 529 count as gifts for tax purposes. A single contributor can give up to the annual gift tax exclusion ($19,000 for 2026) per beneficiary without filing a gift tax return, and 529 plans specifically allow "superfunding" — electing to treat a lump sum of up to 5 years' worth of that exclusion ($95,000 single, $190,000 married for 2026) as spread evenly over 5 years for gift-tax purposes. This calculator doesn't model lump-sum superfunding directly — enter an equivalent average monthly contribution instead.

Recommendations

• State tax treatment varies — many states offer a state income tax deduction or credit for contributions to their own state's 529 plan, which this calculator doesn't model since it depends entirely on where you live and file.
• Unused 529 funds aren't locked to one child — the beneficiary can generally be changed to another family member without penalty if plans change.
• Since 2024, a limited amount of unused 529 funds can be rolled into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary under certain conditions (SECURE 2.0 Act) — a real, relatively new option worth checking if you're worried about overfunding.

Frequently asked questions

Federally, yes — for withdrawals used on qualified education expenses (tuition, fees, room and board, books, and more). Withdrawals used for non-qualified expenses are subject to income tax plus a 10% penalty on the earnings portion.