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529 fee study
Savingforcollege.com's 529 Fee Study compares the lowest and highest 10-year expense totals for all direct-sold 529 savings plans. The data come from 529 program official disclosure statements unless indicated otherwise with an asterisk (*).
Please click here for a further explanation of this fee study.
Savingforcollege.com's 529 Fee Study -- as of January 1, 2012
| 10-year costs on $10,000 investment | View report sorted by lowest cost or state |
| State | Direct-sold 529 plan name | Lowest cost option | 2nd lowest option | 2nd highest option | Highest cost option | Annual account fee | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia† | DC 529 College Savings Program (Direct-sold) | $778 | $985 | $2,309 | $2,529 | $15 | |
| Nebraska | TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan | $665 | $677 | $1,757 | $1,900 | $0 | |
| Arizona | Fidelity Arizona College Savings Plan | $318 | $356 | $1,692 | $1,707 | $0 | |
| Delaware | Delaware College Investment Plan | $318 | $356 | $1,692 | $1,707 | $0 | |
| Massachusetts | U.Fund College Investing Plan | $318 | $356 | $1,692 | $1,707 | $0 | |
| New Hampshire | UNIQUE College Investing Plan | $318 | $356 | $1,692 | $1,707 | $0 | |
| Kansas | Schwab 529 College Savings Plan | $518 | $811 | $1,612 | $1,701 | $0 | |
| Nebraska | NEST Direct College Savings Plan | $390 | $431 | $1,545 | $1,691 | $0 | |
| Maine* | NextGen College Investing Plan - Client Direct Series | $721 | $913 | $1,550 | $1,561 | $25 | For Maine residents and other accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $480 to $1,320. |
| Rhode Island† | CollegeBoundfund (Direct-sold, Alternative RI) | $77 | $141 | $1,398 | $1,556 | $0 | |
| Nevada | USAA College Savings Plan | $936 | $1,080 | $1,444 | $1,513 | $15 | Figures do not include the $15 annual low-balance fee applicable to accounts under $5,000. For Nevada residents eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $786 to $1363. |
| Wisconsin | EdVest (Direct-sold) | $614 | $664 | $1,367 | $1,482 | $20 | For Wisconsin residents and for high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $418 to $1,294. |
| Alabama | CollegeCounts 529 Fund | $394 | $406 | $1,182 | $1,461 | $12 | |
| Indiana | CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan | $640 | $652 | $992 | $1,345 | $20 | For Indiana residents and other accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $443 to $1,155. |
| Montana | Montana Family Education Savings Program | $1,253 | $1,311 | $1,323 | $1,335 | $25 | For accounts with Montana resident as beneficiary and other accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $1,014 to $1,096. |
| Oregon | Oregon College Savings Plan | $481 | $518 | $993 | $1,323 | $0 | |
| New Jersey | NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan | $505 | $518 | $1,294 | $1,317 | $0 | |
| Alaska | T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan | $652 | $944 | $1,264 | $1,299 | $20 | For high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs are lower. |
| Alaska | University of Alaska College Savings Plan | $393 | $652 | $1,264 | $1,299 | $20/$0 | For high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs are lower. |
| Maryland | College Savings Plans of Maryland - College Investment Plan | $441 | $944 | $1,252 | $1,287 | $20 | For high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs are lower. |
| Kansas | Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program (Direct-sold) | $319 | $331 | $1,213 | $1,271 | $0 | |
| Ohio | Ohio CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan | $243 | $293 | $906 | $1,271 | $0 | |
| West Virginia† | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan | $456 | $750 | $1,178 | $1,248 | $0 | |
| North Dakota | College SAVE | $1,240 | $1,240 | $1,240 | $1,240 | $20 | For North Dakota residents eligible for account fee waiver, costs are $1,049. |
| West Virginia | SMART529 Select | $1,076 | $1,100 | $1,194 | $1,206 | $25 | For West Virginia residents and for high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs are lower. |
| Virginia | Virginia Education Savings Trust (VEST) | $117 | $321 | $971 | $1,172 | $0 | Figures do not include the one-time $25 application fee. |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) | $406 | $431 | $715 | $1,171 | $0 | |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma College Savings Plan | $617 | $619 | $993 | $1,171 | $0 | |
| Arkansas | GIFT College Investing Plan | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $20 | Costs are $930 for Arkansas residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Hawaii | Hawaii's College Savings Program | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $20 | |
| Idaho | Idaho College Savings Program (IDeal) | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $20 | Costs are $930 for Idaho residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust | $703 | $800 | $921 | $1,123 | $0 | |
| South Dakota† | CollegeAccess 529 (Direct-sold) | $518 | $567 | $774 | $1,096 | $0 | |
| Texas | Texas College Savings Plan | $531 | $642 | $1,018 | $1,041 | $0 | |
| Vermont | Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan | $629 | $678 | $800 | $1,040 | $0 | |
| Florida | Florida College Investment Plan | $955 | $955 | $955 | $955 | $0 | Figures do not include the one-time $50 application fee. |
| New Mexico | The Education Plan's College Savings Program | $394 | $456 | $886 | $910 | $0 | Figures do not include the $25 annual low-balance fee applicable to non-resident accounts under $10,000. |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) Program | $812 | $825 | $849 | $909 | $0 | |
| Nevada | The Upromise College Fund | $908 | $908 | $908 | $908 | $20 | Nevada residents eligible for account fee waiver have lower fees. |
| Illinois | Bright Start College Savings Program - Direct-sold Plan | $330 | $355 | $801 | $849 | $10/$0 | None for Oppenheimer actively managed portfolios, $10 annually per portfolio for the Vanguard portfolio options |
| Colorado | Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan | $799 | $799 | $799 | $799 | $20 | Costs are $604 for Colorado and Wyoming residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan | $619 | $631 | $693 | $778 | $0 | |
| California | The ScholarShare College Savings Plan | $230 | $243 | $764 | $776 | $0 | |
| Minnesota | Minnesota College Savings Plan | $645 | $645 | $706 | $767 | $0 | |
| Utah | Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) | $262 | $306 | $416 | $757 | $3 per $1,000, max $15 | For Utah residents eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $0 to $757 with the zero-cost option being the Public Treasurer Investment Fund. |
| Missouri | MOST - Missouri's 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) | $368 | $406 | $714 | $750 | $10 | |
| South Carolina† | Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) | $293 | $431 | $714 | $726 | $0 | |
| Nevada | The Vanguard 529 Savings Plan | $318 | $356 | $677 | $689 | $0 | Figures do not include the $20 annual low-balance fee applicable to accounts under $3,000. |
| Louisiana† | START Saving Program | $0 | $78 | $255 | $567 | $0 | Zero-cost option is the fixed income fund managed by the state treasurer. |
| North Carolina | National College Savings Program | $390 | $431 | $505 | $555 | $0 | |
| Georgia | Path2College 529 Plan | $369 | $419 | $494 | $506 | $0 | |
| Michigan | Michigan Education Savings Program | $444 | $444 | $444 | $444 | $0 | |
| Iowa | College Savings Iowa | $431 | $431 | $431 | $431 | $0 | |
| New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program - Direct Plan | $318 | $318 | $318 | $318 | $0 |
† This direct-sold plan is open only to state residents.
* Amounts do not appear in official program description and are estimated by Savingforcollege.com.
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