College Savings Calculator

Two schools, same degree, different price tags. The gap on the brochure is rarely the gap your family actually feels — because most families finance part of it, and loan interest adds to the difference over time. Enter the net prices and see the real number.

Pricier school — net price / year

What you’d actually pay after grants & scholarships

Cheaper school — net price / year

Same field — the cost the brochure hides

Years to degree

% of the difference financed with loans

Loan interest rate (%)

Federal Direct loans are ~6.5–8% in recent years

Years to repay loans

Estimated true cost of choosing the pricier school

Net-price difference per year$16,000

Over 4 years (cash difference)$64,000

Paid out of pocket (40%)$25,600

Financed (60%), repaid over 10 yrs at 7%$53,503

— of which is interest$15,103

True difference over time$79,103

The sticker gap looks like $64,000 — but financing 60% of it adds $15,103 in interest, making the real difference about $79,103.

Estimate only. Uses standard amortized-loan math on the numbers you enter; it is not financial advice and does not account for your specific aid package, loan terms, or taxes. Inside Project College, we pull each school’s real net price by income band so you don’t have to guess.

Don’t guess the net price

Inside Project College we pull each school’s real net price by income band, projected earnings, and debt load — so you compare with real numbers, not estimates.

Get Started