EFC Calculator

This tool calculates your EFC, a measure of your family’s financial strength. Colleges and states use this number to help determine your financial aid award.

Students and their families are expected to contribute to the cost of college to the extent that they’re able. Use this 2023-24 academic year Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Calculator to:

  • Estimate how much the student’s family will be expected to contribute for the year. After all, you can’t make a realistic plan to cover the student’s share if you don’t have any idea what the student’s share could be.
  • Gain insight into the student’s financial aid eligibility. If you’re unable to contribute the entire cost of college, financial aid is available to bridge the gap. That's how the financial aid system works. The difference between the total cost and the student's EFC is considered the student's financial need and the amount of aid you’re eligible to receive.

If you have a specific college in mind, you can get a more accurate estimate of your real cost by using the net price calculator on its website. Net price is the full cost of attendance minus the grants and scholarships you receive from the college. A college’s net price calculator uses the financial aid policies of that college to calculate its estimate. Learn more about net price.

This calculator is designed for use by students who live in, or are citizens of, the U.S. or Canada. Data must be entered in U.S. dollars. Most colleges and universities employ a formula to determine eligibility for students from outside the U.S. or Canada that is not available with this calculator.