529 College Savings Benchmarks by Age: Are You On Track? (2026)
The single most common question about 529 savings isn't "what is a 529?" — it's "do we have enough?" Without a benchmark, it's impossible to answer. This page gives you two things: a personalized calculator that tells you exactly how much to save each month given your child's age and current balance, and a reference table showing what families on track from birth should have saved at each age for each school type.
Assumes 4.5% annual tuition inflation on 2025-26 College Board base costs.1 Return assumption applies to new contributions and current balance. Adjust sliders to match your actual investment mix.
On-track benchmarks by age (2026)
The table below shows what a family that started saving at birth with a consistent monthly contribution at 7% average return should have in their 529 today, and what monthly savings (starting from $0) would be needed at each age to fully fund college. Use it to quickly gauge where you stand without running the calculator.
Assumptions: 4.5% annual tuition inflation on 2025-26 College Board costs, 7% average annual return, 100% coverage goal.
In-state public ($30,990/yr today → projected at college start)
| Child's age | Projected 4-yr cost | On-track 529 balance | Monthly from $0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn (0) | $273,800 | $0 | $636/mo |
| 2 | $250,700 | $16,300 | $711/mo |
| 4 | $229,600 | $35,100 | $808/mo |
| 6 | $210,200 | $56,700 | $936/mo |
| 8 | $192,500 | $81,500 | $1,112/mo |
| 10 | $176,300 | $110,100 | $1,375/mo |
| 12 | $161,400 | $142,900 | $1,811/mo |
| 14 | $147,900 | $180,700 | $2,677/mo |
| 16 | $135,400 | $224,000 | $5,271/mo |
Out-of-state public ($50,920/yr today)
| Child's age | Projected 4-yr cost | On-track 529 balance | Monthly from $0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn (0) | $449,700 | $0 | $1,044/mo |
| 2 | $411,700 | $26,800 | $1,169/mo |
| 4 | $377,200 | $57,600 | $1,328/mo |
| 6 | $345,400 | $93,100 | $1,538/mo |
| 8 | $316,300 | $133,800 | $1,827/mo |
| 10 | $289,600 | $180,800 | $2,260/mo |
| 12 | $265,200 | $234,600 | $2,975/mo |
| 14 | $243,000 | $296,600 | $4,398/mo |
| 16 | $222,400 | $367,800 | $8,662/mo |
Private nonprofit ($65,470/yr today)
| Child's age | Projected 4-yr cost | On-track 529 balance | Monthly from $0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn (0) | $578,200 | $0 | $1,343/mo |
| 2 | $529,300 | $34,500 | $1,503/mo |
| 4 | $485,200 | $74,100 | $1,708/mo |
| 6 | $444,200 | $119,700 | $1,977/mo |
| 8 | $406,600 | $172,100 | $2,348/mo |
| 10 | $372,400 | $232,500 | $2,905/mo |
| 12 | $340,900 | $301,700 | $3,825/mo |
| 14 | $312,400 | $381,500 | $5,654/mo |
| 16 | $286,000 | $472,900 | $11,136/mo |
How to read your gap
If you're behind the benchmark: You have three levers — save more monthly, accept partial coverage (supplement with federal loans, work-study, or merit aid), or choose a lower-cost school. Combining all three is usually more realistic than finding the full gap in monthly savings alone.
If you're ahead of the benchmark: You're in good shape. Consider whether you're over-funding the 529 at the expense of retirement savings. The sequence matters: employer 401(k) match → HSA → Roth IRA → 529. See our 401(k) vs. 529 prioritization calculator for the full framework.
If you have multiple kids: Run each child separately, then add the monthly totals. Overlapping college years (child A in sophomore year when child B starts) create a cash-flow crunch — see the multi-child 529 allocation calculator for year-by-year planning across siblings.
Asset allocation: how to invest your 529
The monthly savings target only matters if the money is actually growing. Most families in a 529 can follow a simple age-based glide path — more growth-oriented when the child is young, more conservative as college approaches:
| Child's age | Stocks | Bonds / Stable Value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth – 9 | 80–90% | 10–20% | Long runway; short-term volatility is recoverable |
| 10 – 12 | 60–70% | 30–40% | Begin de-risking; 6–8 years of growth still available |
| 13 – 15 | 40–55% | 45–60% | Approaching use; protect against a bad sequence-of-returns |
| 16 – 17 | 20–30% | 70–80% | Near-term capital preservation; can't recover a 30% drop in 18 months |
| College years (18–21) | 10–20% | 80–90% | Money needed within the year: money market, short-term bonds only |
Most 529 plans offer an age-based option that handles this glide path automatically. For most families, selecting the age-based portfolio and setting a recurring monthly contribution is the right starting point — not picking individual funds. If your plan's age-based option has high expenses (>0.30%), consider a lower-cost plan: see our 529 plan comparison by state.
Common questions
Should I use 100% coverage as my target?
Not necessarily. Many families in the $150K–$500K income range will qualify for little to no need-based aid at most schools, making merit aid and school selection the main levers. If you're confident your child will qualify for significant merit aid, targeting 70–80% coverage and saving the rest in Roth or taxable accounts gives you more flexibility — unused 529 funds not rolled to Roth stay trapped in the 10% penalty structure.
What if we haven't started yet?
Start now. The monthly savings needed from scratch at age 6 is $936 for in-state — not trivial, but achievable for dual-income households in the target income range. Each year of delay adds roughly 15–25% to the required monthly payment. Opening a 529 with $25/month is better than waiting until you "can afford it." See the 529 funding strategy guide for a priority framework.
Can I use a Roth IRA instead of a 529?
Roth IRAs are FAFSA-invisible (an advantage) and have no college-specific restrictions (a flexibility advantage). The tradeoff: the contribution limit is $7,500/person in 2026, and money used for college can't be "replaced" in the account. The 529 vs. Roth IRA for college savings page shows the full comparison — many families do both.
What about grandparent 529 contributions?
Since the 2024-25 FAFSA simplification, grandparent-owned 529 distributions no longer count as student income on FAFSA. Grandparents can now fund a separate 529 or contribute to the parent-owned account without the aid penalty that existed under the old formula. Superfunding allows $95,000 per grandchild ($190,000 married) in a single year using 5 years of annual gift exclusion. See the grandparent 529 guide for the full picture.
Related tools and guides
- College Cost & 529 Savings Calculator — project the exact inflation-adjusted cost for your child's age and school type
- 529 Funding Strategy Guide — plan selection, superfunding, age-based benchmarks, and the SECURE 2.0 rollover exit
- 401(k) vs. 529 Prioritization Calculator — priority framework: employer match first, then HSA, then Roth, then 529
- Multi-Child 529 Allocation Calculator — split monthly savings across 2–4 children by age
- Best 529 Plans by State (2026) — in-state vs. out-of-state plan comparison and Morningstar Gold-rated options
- 529 vs. Roth IRA for College Savings — when the Roth IRA beats the 529
- 529 Withdrawal Strategy — how to coordinate withdrawals with the AOTC tax credit
- Pre-College Financial Checklist — the 4-year window before move-in day
- FAFSA Financial Aid Estimator — estimate your Student Aid Index (SAI)
Sources
- College Board, Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025-26. Base costs used: in-state public $30,990/yr, out-of-state public $50,920/yr, private nonprofit $65,470/yr (tuition, fees, room & board). Tuition inflation rate (4.5%) is consistent with 10-year average reported in this publication.
- IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education — § 529 qualified tuition programs, tax-free growth, and qualified expense definitions.
- FINRA, 529 Savings Plans — investor overview covering contribution rules, investment options, and tax treatment.
- SEC Office of Investor Education, An Introduction to 529 Plans — age-based investment option guidance and portfolio transition best practices.
Benchmark values verified using 2025-26 College Board cost data. Return and inflation assumptions are illustrative — actual results will vary. Values current as of June 2026.
Get a college funding plan built for your household
A fee-only family financial planner can model your 529 gap alongside your retirement contributions, show which lever to pull first, and identify whether superfunding, changing school type targets, or adjusting the coverage goal makes the most sense for your household income and other financial goals.