College Cost Calculator
Sticker price minus grants and scholarships equals your real net price. Enter any school's numbers to estimate net price per year, the full program total, out-of-pocket cost, and monthly loan payments, then compare up to 3 schools side by side.
100% private: runs in your browserNo sign-upNet price estimator
We publish no per-school prices here, because aid differs wildly by college. Use each school's official net price calculator (linked in the methodology), then bring its numbers here.
1. Cost of attendance (sticker price, per year)
2. Gift aid: grants and scholarships (per year, no repayment)
3. Self-help: work-study and earnings (per year)
These do not lower the official net price, but they do lower what comes out of your pocket.
4. Loans and projection
Results
Where the sticker price goes
Year-by-year projection
| Year | Sticker price | Gift aid | Net price |
|---|
Projection assumes the sticker price grows by your yearly increase while gift aid stays flat. See methodology.
Compare up to 3 schools
Enter each school's own numbers (from its net price calculator or aid offer). The cheapest net price is highlighted. Loan terms below reuse the rate and term from section 4.
| School | Sticker / yr | Gift aid / yr | Loan / yr | Net / yr | Net, program | Payment / mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Comparison uses a flat projection (0% yearly increase) so schools are judged on the same basis.
Methodology
PMT = P * r * (1+r)^n / ((1+r)^n - 1), where r is the monthly rate and n the number of monthly payments. With a 0% rate the payment is simply principal divided by n. The estimate assumes equal borrowing each year and one blended rate with standard interest accrual; subsidized federal loans accrue no interest while you are enrolled, so the estimate slightly overstates those.
Estimates only: this tool is a planning aid, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Always confirm with the college's official net price calculator and your financial aid office.
Frequently asked questions
What is a college's net price?
Net price is what you actually pay for one year of college after grants and scholarships are subtracted: cost of attendance minus gift aid. It does not subtract work-study or loans, because those are money you earn or must repay. The sticker price is the published total before any aid.
Why do I need each school's net price calculator?
Every college that participates in federal student aid programs is required to publish a net price calculator on its website. Aid packages differ enormously between schools, so a national average cannot tell you what one specific college will cost you. Enter each school's own published cost of attendance and your estimated gift aid here to compare them side by side.
What does cost of attendance include?
Cost of attendance, sometimes called the student budget, is the college's official yearly estimate: tuition and fees, room and board or living costs, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. This calculator breaks it into those five parts so you can see where the money goes.
Do work-study and loans lower the net price?
No. In the standard definition used by net price calculators, net price subtracts only gift aid: grants and scholarships you do not repay. Work-study earnings and loans are self-help aid. This calculator shows them separately as reductions to your out-of-pocket cost, because that is how they affect your wallet.
How is the monthly loan payment estimated?
With the standard fixed-rate amortization formula: the monthly payment equals principal times r times (1 plus r) to the power n, divided by (1 plus r) to the power n minus 1, where r is the monthly interest rate and n is the number of monthly payments. It assumes you borrow the same amount each year of the program and repay over the term you choose, with 10 years as the standard plan.
What is the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans?
On subsidized federal loans the government pays the interest while you are enrolled at least half-time; on unsubsidized loans interest accrues from disbursement. This calculator uses one blended rate with standard accrual on the whole balance, which slightly overstates the cost of subsidized loans. Enter your actual weighted rate from your aid offer for the closest estimate.
How does the multi-year projection work?
Each academic year, the sticker price grows by the annual increase percentage you set, while gift aid is held flat. That is a deliberately conservative simplification: in reality aid can change too. Set the increase to 0 to see a flat projection.
Is this financial advice?
No. This tool produces planning estimates from the numbers you enter. It is not financial, tax, or legal advice, and it cannot replace your college's official net price calculator or your financial aid office.
Free tool by NRTechStudio