Q3 2024 529 Performance Rankings: Three-Year

Each quarter Saving For College analyzes the investment returns for thousands of 529 portfolios and ranks the 529 savings plans based on the overall investment performance. This table shows how we ranked all direct-sold 529 plans for three-year performance. Direct-sold plans are ones that consumers can enroll in without using a broker or financial advisor. Click here for one-year performance table, five-year performance table, and ten-year performance table.

The Saving For College enrollment-based performance rankings analyze the returns of all age-based or year-of-enrollment portfolios offered by 529 plans. The methodology calculates a hypothetical average annual return for each portfolio across a glidepath from age 0 to 19+ and then ranks the plans from highest to lowest returns. Please view our methodology for more details.

This ranking could be a useful tool when comparing and selecting a 529 plan.

Rankings use data as of September 30, 2024.

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1

SMART529 Select

State: West Virginia

Average return: 5.55%

2

Bloomwell 529 Education Savings Plan

State: Nebraska

Average return: 5.31%

3

SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan

State: West Virginia

Average return: 5.21%

4

my529

State: Utah

Average return: 5.20%

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5

USAA 529 Education Savings Plan

State: Nevada

Average return: 5.08%

6

NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan

State: New Jersey

Average return: 4.92%

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7

Maryland College Investment Plan

State: Maryland

Average return: 4.72%

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8

Edvest 529

State: Wisconsin

Average return: 4.69%

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10

CollegeCounts 529 Fund

State: Alabama

Average return: 4.57%

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11

CollegeAccess 529 (Direct-sold)

State: South Dakota

Average return: 4.54%

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12

Path2College 529 Plan

State: Georgia

Average return: 4.46%

13

Alaska 529

State: Alaska

Average return: 4.45%

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13

T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan

State: Alaska

Average return: 4.45%

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15

The Education Plan

State: New Mexico

Average return: 4.44%

16

ScholarShare 529

State: California

Average return: 4.40%

19

Oklahoma 529

State: Oklahoma

Average return: 4.30%

20

Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold)

State: South Carolina

Average return: 4.23%

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21

NextGen 529 -- Client Direct Series

State: Maine

Average return: 4.20%

22

Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP)

State: Michigan

Average return: 4.12%

23

KY Saves 529

State: Kentucky

Average return: 4.12%

24

Minnesota College Savings Plan

State: Minnesota

Average return: 4.09%

25

ISave 529

State: Iowa

Average return: 4.08%

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26

Oregon College Savings Plan

State: Oregon

Average return: 4.06%

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27

Achieve Montana

State: Montana

Average return: 3.94%

28

Florida 529 Savings Plan

State: Florida

Average return: 3.84%

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29

START Saving Program

State: Louisiana

Average return: 3.84%

30

CollegeBound Saver (Direct-sold)

State: Rhode Island

Average return: 3.75%

31

Schwab 529 College Savings Plan

State: Kansas

Average return: 3.68%

32

Invest529

State: Virginia

Average return: 3.61%

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34

The Vanguard 529 College Savings Plan

State: Nevada

Average return: 3.56%

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35

DC College Savings Plan

State: District of Columbia

Average return: 3.54%

36

TNStars College Savings 529 Program

State: Tennessee

Average return: 3.51%

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37

Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan

State: Pennsylvania

Average return: 3.47%

38

NC 529 Plan

State: North Carolina

Average return: 3.32%

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39

Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan

State: Colorado

Average return: 3.29%

40

Indiana529 Direct Savings Plan

State: Indiana

Average return: 3.21%

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41

Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) Program

State: Mississippi

Average return: 3.20%

42

College SAVE (Direct)

State: North Dakota

Average return: 3.14%

43

Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage

State: Ohio

Average return: 3.07%

44

U.Fund College Investing Plan

State: Massachusetts

Average return: 3.02%

45

UNIQUE College Investing Plan

State: New Hampshire

Average return: 3.02%

46

AZ529, Arizona's Education Savings Plan

State: Arizona

Average return: 3.02%

47

DE529 Education Savings Plan

State: Delaware

Average return: 3.02%

48

Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET)

State: Connecticut

Average return: 3.01%

49

Hawaii's College Savings Program

State: Hawaii

Average return: 2.98%

50

DreamAhead College Investment Plan

State: Washington

Average return: 2.64%

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-

Arkansas Brighter Future Direct Plan

State: Arkansas

Average return: N/A

-

Idaho College Savings Program (IDeal)

State: Idaho

Average return: N/A

-

Texas College Savings Plan

State: Texas

Average return: N/A

Enroll Now

-

Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan

State: Vermont

Average return: N/A

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More information

NA = Not Applicable = Program does not have at least three portfolios covering at least 10 age bands with sufficiently long performance to be included in our ranking model.

The Saving For College enrollment-based rankings compare historical investment returns of only the age-based and year-of-enrollment portfolios offered by each 529 plan.

The performance data underlying these rankings represent past performance and are not a guarantee of future performance. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data used. A plan portfolio's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares or units when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost. Investors should carefully consider plan investment goals, risks, charges and expenses by obtaining and reading the plan's official program description before investing. Investors should also consider whether their beneficiary's home state offers any tax or other benefits that are available for investments only in such state's 529 plan.

For a more in-depth explanation of our methodology, please read our white paper.

Brokers, please note: For internal use only and not for use with or to be shown to the investing public.

Disclaimer: Saving For College, LLC shall not be liable for any errors or omissions in this report. Users should rely on official program disclosures.

For broker-sold plan rankings, click here.

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