Ohio 529 Calculator 2026
Ohio's deduction is per beneficiary with an unlimited carryforward, so a $20,000 lump sum for one child produces $4,000 of deduction a year for five years. CollegeAdvantage is one of the highest-rated direct plans nationally.
Project the balance from your contributions below, then read the Ohio tax table to see what the state side of the deal is actually worth in dollars — computed from the same 2026 Ohio schedule used by the Ohio paycheck calculator.
- Total contributions
- $59,000
- Tax-advantaged growth
- $40,516
- Projected balance
- $99,516
- Estimated cost
- $120,000
- Shortfall
- $20,484
On track to $99,516 — about $20,484 short of a $120,000 goal. Raising the monthly contribution closes the gap.
Use Left and Right Arrow, Home, or End to inspect data points.
- Growth uses a steady monthly compounding rate; age-based 529 portfolios de-risk over time and will not track it exactly.
- State tax savings are computed from the 2026 state schedule in this site's tax engine, applied to the assumed household income shown with each table.
- State 529 deduction and credit limits are the commonly published 2026 figures; several states index them annually — confirm yours with the plan.
- College cost projections are rounded national published averages inflated at a fixed rate, not a quote from any institution.
The email includes this route only; calculator inputs are not attached.
What a 529 contribution saves you in Ohio tax
Estimated Ohio tax saved in the year you contribute, computed by running the 2026 Ohio schedule with and without the deduction. The single column assumes a $100,000 income; the joint column assumes $150,000. This is the immediate return, before a cent of investment growth.
| Annual contribution | Single, $100,000 | Joint, $150,000 | Effective discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $55 | $55 | 2.8% |
| $5,000 | $110 | $110 | 2.2% |
| $10,000 | $110 | $110 | 1.1% |
| $15,000 | $110 | $110 | 0.7% |
$4,000 per beneficiary per year, per contributor. Contributions above $4,000 carry forward indefinitely. Only contributions to Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage qualify. Figures are planning estimates from the 2026 schedule, not tax advice — confirm the current limit with the plan or a tax professional.
What monthly 529 contributions grow to
Projected balances at a 6% annual return, contributions only, no starting balance. Age-based 529 portfolios shift toward bonds as college approaches, so a real plan started at birth typically averages a little under this early and a little over it later.
| Monthly contribution | After 10 years | After 15 years | After 18 years | Of which growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100/mo | $16,388 | $29,082 | $38,735 | $17,135 |
| $250/mo | $40,970 | $72,705 | $96,838 | $42,838 |
| $500/mo | $81,940 | $145,409 | $193,677 | $85,677 |
| $750/mo | $122,910 | $218,114 | $290,515 | $128,515 |
| $1,000/mo | $163,879 | $290,819 | $387,353 | $171,353 |
What four years of college is projected to cost
Rounded national averages for published total cost of attendance — tuition, fees, room and board — projected forward at 5% a year across four consecutive academic years. Published price is not net price: most families pay less after grant aid, and an individual school can sit far either side of the average.
| Institution type | Four years today | Starting in 10 years | Starting in 18 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public four-year, in-state | $120,000 | $210,622 | $311,185 |
| Public four-year, out-of-state | $196,000 | $344,016 | $508,269 |
| Private nonprofit four-year | $252,000 | $442,307 | $653,488 |
How the Ohio 529 benefit actually works
A 529 deduction reduces Ohio taxable income, so its cash value is the deducted amount multiplied by your Ohio marginal rate — not the deduction itself. $4,000 per beneficiary per year, per contributor. Contributions above $4,000 carry forward indefinitely.
The benefit is tied to Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage, so the comparison is between the Ohio tax saving and any fee premium the in-state plan carries. Calculate both: the deduction is a one-year saving, while a fee difference compounds for as long as the account exists.
Contribution limits are set by the plan, not by the IRS — most allow a lifetime balance of $400,000 or more per beneficiary. What is capped federally is the gift-tax treatment: contributions count as completed gifts, and a five-year election lets you front-load five years of the annual exclusion into a single year without using lifetime exemption.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Ohio offer a 529 tax deduction?
- Yes. $4,000 per beneficiary per year, per contributor. Contributions above $4,000 carry forward indefinitely. The benefit applies only to contributions made to Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage.
- What is a $5,000 529 contribution worth in Ohio?
- On a $100,000 single-filer income, contributing $5,000 to a Ohio-qualifying 529 is estimated to cut Ohio tax by about $110 for the year — an immediate return of roughly 2.2% on the contribution, before any investment growth.
- Which 529 plan should a Ohio resident use?
- To claim the Ohio benefit you must contribute to Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage. Weigh that benefit against any fee difference versus a cheaper out-of-state plan — for most Ohio savers the state benefit wins, but it is worth checking at small contribution levels.
- What happens if the money is not used for college?
- Non-qualified withdrawals are taxed on the earnings portion and carry a 10% federal penalty on those earnings, and the state may reclaim deductions previously taken. There are penalty-free escape routes: change the beneficiary to another family member, use up to $10,000 for student-loan repayment, or roll unused funds into the beneficiary's Roth IRA subject to the lifetime cap and account-age rules.
- Can 529 money be used for more than tuition?
- Yes. Qualified expenses include tuition, mandatory fees, books, required supplies and equipment, computers used for study, and room and board for students enrolled at least half time. Up to $10,000 a year can also be used for K-12 tuition, and up to $10,000 lifetime for student loan repayment.
- Does a 529 hurt financial aid?
- Less than most families expect. A parent-owned 529 is a parental asset on the FAFSA and is assessed at a maximum of 5.64% — so $50,000 saved reduces aid eligibility by at most about $2,820. Since the FAFSA Simplification Act, distributions from a grandparent-owned 529 no longer count as student income at all.