How Much Will College Cost in the Future

At 5% annual tuition inflation, today's $28,000-per-year college costs about $50,000 per year by the time a 6-year-old reaches age 18, and the four-year bill rises from $112,000 today to roughly $225,000. That is a cost multiple of about 1.8 times. The curve steepens the longer the horizon, which is why starting to save early matters so much. Use a conservative rate if you want a safety margin; even 3% inflation more than doubles costs over 18 years.