529 PLANS
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.
Please click here for a further explanation of this fee study.
Savingforcollege.com's 529 Fee Study -- As of March 2021
| 10-year costs on $10,000 investment | View report sorted by highest cost or lowest cost |
| State | Direct-sold 529 plan name | Lowest cost option | 2nd lowest option | 2nd highest option | Highest cost option | Annual account fee | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | CollegeCounts 529 Fund | $243 | $255 | $909 | $993 | $0 | |
| Alaska | T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan | $443 | $493 | $798 | $847 | $0 | |
| Alaska | Alaska 529 | $217 | $443 | $798 | $847 | $0 | |
| Arizona | Fidelity Arizona College Savings Plan | $141 | $154 | $1,184 | $1,208 | $0 | |
| Arkansas | GIFT College Investing Plan | $859 | $859 | $859 | $859 | $20 | LOWER figures ($659) apply to Arkansas residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| California | The ScholarShare College Savings Plan | $77 | $103 | $654 | $666 | $0 | |
| Colorado | Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan | $602 | $602 | $602 | $602 | $20 | LOWER figures ($406) apply to Colorado residents and other accounts eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) | $141 | $154 | $1,184 | $1,208 | $0 | |
| Delaware | Delaware College Investment Plan | $141 | $154 | $1,184 | $1,208 | $0 | |
| District of Columbia† | DC College Savings Plan | $546 | $556 | $1,003 | $1,063 | $15 | LOWER figures (ranging from $497 to $1,015) apply to DC residents who pay a $10 annual maintenance fee. |
| Florida† | Florida 529 Savings Plan | $25 | $37 | $559 | $957 | $0 | |
| Georgia | Path2College 529 Plan | $230 | $243 | $344 | $394 | $0 | |
| Hawaii | Hawaii's College Savings Program | $920 | $932 | $980 | $1,016 | $20 | LOWER figures (ranging from $726 to $822) apply to Hawaii residents, eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Idaho | Idaho College Savings Program (IDeal) | $811 | $811 | $811 | $811 | $20 | LOWER figures ($616) apply to Idaho residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Illinois | Bright Start Direct-Sold College Savings Program | $122 | $135 | $782 | $999 | $0 | |
| Indiana | CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan | $403 | $422 | $871 | $1,146 | $20 | LOWER figures (ranging from $205 to $954) apply to Indiana residents and other accounts eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Iowa | College Savings Iowa | $243 | $243 | $243 | $243 | $0 | |
| Kansas | Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program (Direct-sold) | $293 | $306 | $919 | $955 | $0 | |
| Kansas | Schwab 529 College Savings Plan | $319 | $493 | $1,131 | $1,201 | $0 | |
| Kentucky | KY Saves 529 | $568 | $577 | $993 | $1,003 | $0 | |
| Louisiana† | START Saving Program | $0 | $26 | $104 | $138 | $0 | Zero-cost option is the fixed income fund managed by the state treasurer. |
| Maine | NextGen College Investing Plan - Client Direct Series | $223 | $261 | $712 | $736 | $0 | |
| Maryland | Maryland 529 - Maryland Senator Edward J. Kasemeyer College Investment Plan | $205 | $280 | $808 | $847 | $0 | |
| Massachusetts | U.Fund College Investing Plan | $141 | $154 | $1,184 | $1,208 | $0 | |
| Michigan | Michigan Education Savings Program | $96 | $109 | $135 | $173 | $0 | |
| Minnesota | Minnesota College Savings Plan | $157 | $170 | $221 | $296 | $0 | |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) Program | $786 | $810 | $883 | $906 | $20 | Figures would be HIGHER for accounts subject to the $20 annual document delivery fee (account owners who do not opt for electronic delivery). |
| Missouri | MOST - Missouri's 529 Savings Plan (Direct-sold) | $230 | $243 | $555 | $640 | $0 | |
| Montana | Achieve Montana | $948 | $956 | $975 | $977 | $25 | LOWER figures (ranging from $705 to $734) apply to Montana residents and other accounts eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Education Savings Trust - Direct College Savings Plan | $154 | $167 | $764 | $825 | $0 | |
| Nebraska | TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan | $268 | $281 | $715 | $933 | $0 | |
| Nevada | The Vanguard 529 Savings Plan | $154 | $166 | $493 | $530 | $0 | |
| Nevada | SSGA Upromise 529 Plan | $553 | $615 | $1,217 | $1,287 | $20 | LOWER figures (ranging from $356 to $1,096) apply to Nevada residents eligible for account fee waiver, or account owners invested in the Savings Portfolio. |
| Nevada | USAA 529 College Savings Plan | $567 | $653 | $1,201 | $1,294 | $0 | Figures shown do not include the $10 annual low-balance fee applicable to non-resident accounts with a balance under $1,000 that do not have an active automatic investment plan. |
| New Hampshire | UNIQUE College Investing Plan | $141 | $154 | $1,184 | $1,208 | $0 | |
| New Jersey† | NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan | $166 | $418 | $744 | $1,013 | $0 | |
| New Mexico | The Education Plan's College Savings Program | $154 | $172 | $519 | $555 | $0 | |
| New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program - Direct Plan | $166 | $166 | $166 | $166 | $0 | |
| North Carolina | National College Savings Program | $381 | $393 | $406 | $433 | $18 | Figures would be HIGHER for accounts subject to the $18 annual document delivery fee (account owners who do not opt for electronic delivery). |
| North Dakota | College SAVE | $811 | $811 | $811 | $811 | $20 | Figures would be LOWER ($616) for North Dakota residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Ohio | Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage | $198 | $214 | $524 | $610 | $0 | |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma College Savings Plan | $381 | $406 | $691 | $715 | $0 | |
| Oregon | Oregon College Savings Plan | $347 | $360 | $764 | $871 | $0 | |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan | $269 | $289 | $370 | $396 | $10 | Figures would be HIGHER for accounts subject to the $10 annual document delivery fee (account owners who do not opt for electronic delivery). On April 22, 2021, age-based options will transition to target enrollment portfolios and cost figures will be slightly lower. |
| Rhode Island | CollegeBound Saver (Direct-sold, Alternative NR) | $359 | $366 | $523 | $560 | $0 | LOWER figures (ranging from $39 to $205) apply to Rhode Island residents eligible for program management fee waiver. |
| South Carolina† | Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) | $26 | $51 | $255 | $318 | $0 | |
| South Dakota† | CollegeAccess 529 (Direct-sold) | $530 | $555 | $665 | $1,443 | $0 | |
| Tennessee | TNStars College Savings 529 Program | $304 | $310 | $1,004 | $1,109 | $0 | Figures reflect state subsidy. |
| Texas | Texas College Savings Plan | $51 | $738 | $1,150 | $1,211 | $0 | |
| Utah | my529 | $166 | $172 | $299 | $604 | $0 | |
| Vermont | Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan | $505 | $505 | $505 | $505 | $10 | Figures would be HIGHER for accounts subject to the $10 annual document delivery fee (account owners who do not opt for electronic delivery). |
| Virginia | Invest529 | $142 | $155 | $657 | $779 | $0 | Published figures do not include the one-time $50 application fee (if application is not submitted online.) |
| Washington | Dream Ahead College Investment Plan | $672 | $675 | $723 | $766 | $35 | |
| West Virginia | SMART529 Select | $964 | $1,015 | $1,081 | $1,086 | $25 | Figures would be LOWER for West Virginia residents and for high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver. |
| West Virginia† | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan | $147 | $151 | $250 | $280 | $0 | |
| Wisconsin | Edvest | $167 | $179 | $444 | $481 | $0 | Per Plan Description and Participation Agreement dated 3/9/2020 |
† This direct-sold plan is open only to state residents.
Financial Professionals
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Top 529 College Savings Plans
One-year rankings are based on a plan's average investment returns over the last 12 months.
| State | Plan Name | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
| 2 | Louisiana | START Saving Program |
| 3 | Indiana | CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan |
Three-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last three years.
| State | Plan Name | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan |
| 2 | Indiana | CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan |
| 3 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
Five-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last five years
| State | Plan Name | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage |
| 2 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
| 3 | New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan |
10-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last ten years.
| State | Plan Name | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage |
| 2 | New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan |
| 3 | Delaware | Delaware College Investment Plan |
