College Fund vs Retirement Calculator

Optimize the split between college savings and retirement contributions when funds are limited.

Financial Disclaimer

This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs provided. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment or financial planning decisions.

Inputs

Monthly savings budget ($)

Child's current age

Your current age

Target retirement age

Expected annual return (%)

Tab to move between fields

Results

Recommended retirement/mo ($)

$300.00

≈ 5 tanks of gas

100% to college ($)$126,665.00

100% to retirement ($)$609,985.00

Recommended college/mo ($)$200.00

Split college fund ($)$50,666.00

Split retirement fund ($)$365,991.00

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your total monthly budget available for saving.
Enter your child's current age and your own age.
Set your target retirement age and expected annual investment return.
Review the projected college fund and retirement fund values under different allocation splits.
Note: financial advisors generally recommend prioritizing retirement — you can borrow for college but not for retirement.

How the result changes with Monthly savings budget ($)

Monthly savings budget ($)	Recommended retirement/mo ($)
5,000	$3,000.00
17,500	$10,500.00
32,500	$19,500.00
45,000	$27,000.00

What each input means

Monthly savings budget ($): Total monthly amount available for saving.
Child's current age: Your child's current age.
Your current age: Your current age.
Target retirement age: Age you plan to retire.
Expected annual return (%): Expected average annual investment return.

What each result means

100% to college ($): College fund value if all savings go there.
100% to retirement ($): Retirement value if all savings go there.
Recommended college/mo ($): Suggested monthly college contribution.
Recommended retirement/mo ($): Suggested monthly retirement contribution.
Split college fund ($): Projected college fund with recommended split.
Split retirement fund ($): Projected retirement with recommended split.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Monthly savings budget ($) = 500, Child's current age = 5, Your current age = 35, Target retirement age = 65 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Recommended retirement/mo
Recommended retirement/mo
300 = $300
Calculate 100% to college
100% to college = monthlyReturn > 0
126665 = $126,665
Calculate 100% to retirement
100% to retirement = monthlyReturn > 0
609985 = $609,985

Engine last updated July 28, 2026. Checked against 1 independently-derived test — how we verify calculators.

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