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Best 529 plans of 2024
Find the best 529 college savings plan for your family.
To help you narrow the field, we analyze plans across the country each quarter and identify the best performing 529 plans for you. Whether you're looking for the lowest-fee 529 plans, the top-rated plans, or plans with high returns, these 529 plan rankings are a great place to start.
Wondering how your state's 529 plan compares to other top plans? Select up to three plans for a side-by-side comparison.
Best for my State
Some states offer multiple 529 plans. Below are the best plans in your state. See our methodology for more detailed information.
The manager for the Alabama CollegeCounts 529 Fund direct-sold savings program changed from Van Kampen to Union Bank and Trust Company in August 2010. It features age-based, static and individual fund portfolio options using mutual funds from multiple fund firms.
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Featured Plans
T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan is a direct-sold plan that offers eight enrollment-based portfolios and six static portfolios. The investment portfolios offered by the plan utilize T. Rowe Price mutual funds. Plan participation is open to residents of any state.
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Invest529, Virginia's direct-sold college savings plan is available to residents of any state, and offers low fees, diverse investment options and tax benefits for residents.
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The Vanguard 529 College Savings Plan, offered by Nevada, is available to residents of any state, and offers low costs, experience and easy-to-manage savings options.
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New York's direct-sold 529 college savings plan is available to residents of any state. It offers low fees and diverse investment options featuring Vanguard mutual funds. New York residents may enjoy a state tax deduction for contributions to the plan. There is no minimum contribution to start saving with New York's 529 College Savings Program and you can enroll online in minutes.
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Missouri's 529 Education Plan (Direct-sold), managed by Ascensus College Savings, features three-age based options and 16 static portfolios with funds from Vanguard and Dimensional Fund Advisors. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.
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Best Rated
These are the highest-rated 529 plans on the 5-cap rating system, offering individual investors all around excellence. See our methodology for more detailed information.
The Maryland Senator Edward J. Kasemeyer College Investment Plan is a direct-sold 529 plan available to residents of any state, and is managed by T. Rowe Price. Maryland residents may enjoy a state tax deduction for contributions to the plan.
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Alaska 529 (previously known as University of Alaska College Savings Plan) is a direct-sold 529 savings plan. The plan features both enrollment-based and static portfolios, along with an additional portfolio called the University of Alaska Portfolio providing special benefits to future University of Alaska students along with a very low expense ratio. Alaska residency is not required to participate in this T. Rowe Price-managed program.
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Restricted to West Virginia residents
The West Virginia SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan, available on a direct basis to those who meet certain West Virginia residency requirements, features a menu of age-based and static portfolio options utilizing index funds from Vanguard as well as an Invesco stable value portfolio option. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.
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The West Virginia SMART529 Select 529 savings program is managed by Hartford Funds and features age-based and static portfolio options utilizing Dimensional Fund Advisors mutual funds. Although DFA funds are typically available only through financial advisers, this 529 plan is direct-sold. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.
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T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan is a direct-sold plan that offers eight enrollment-based portfolios and six static portfolios. The investment portfolios offered by the plan utilize T. Rowe Price mutual funds. Plan participation is open to residents of any state.
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Easiest to Use
Here are plans that make it very simple for you to enroll, transact, and access your account on any device. See our methodology for more detailed information.
Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET), a Fidelity-managed 529 plan follows the same approach as other Fidelity plans in Arizona, Delaware, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It features three age-based options; one using Fidelity Series actively managed funds; one using Fidelity Series index funds; and a third using a combination of the two. The Connecticut plans also offers 11 static options, an option that invests in an interest-bearing deposit account, and a stable value option that invests in a separately managed account that may invest in individual securities or Fidelity mutual funds and investment contracts issued by third-party insurance companies or banks. Prior to February 2021, the plan was managed by TIAA-CREF.
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The DE529 Education Savings Plan, a Fidelity-managed 529 plan follows the same approach as other Fidelity plans in Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It features three age-based options; one using Fidelity Series actively managed funds; one using Fidelity Series index funds; and a third using a combination of the two. The plan also offers 10 static options, one option that invests in an interest-bearing deposit account, and a stable value option that invests in a separately managed account that may invest in individual securities or Fidelity mutual funds and investment contracts issued by third-party insurance companies or banks.
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Massachusetts' U.Fund College Investing Plan, a Fidelity-managed 529 plan follows the same approach as other Fidelity plans in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware and New Hampshire. It features three age-based options; one using Fidelity Series actively managed funds; one using Fidelity Series index funds; and a third using a combination of the two. The plan also offers 11 static options, and an option that invests in an interest-bearing deposit account.
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New Hampshire's UNIQUE College Investing Plan is Fidelity-managed 529 plan follows the same approach as other Fidelity plans in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware and Massachusetts. It features three age-based options; one using Fidelity Series actively managed funds; one using Fidelity Series index funds; and a third using a combination of the two. The plan also offers 10 static options, one option that invests in an interest-bearing deposit account, and a stable value option that invests in a separately managed account that may invest in individual securities or Fidelity mutual funds and investment contracts issued by third-party insurance companies or banks.
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AZ529, Arizona's Education Savings Plan is a Fidelity-managed 529 plan follows the same approach as other Fidelity plans in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It features three age-based options; one using Fidelity Series actively managed funds; one using Fidelity Series index funds; and a third using a combination of the two. The plan also offers 10 static options, one option that invests in an interest-bearing deposit account, and a stable value option that invests in a separately managed account that may invest in individual securities or Fidelity mutual funds and investment contracts issued by third-party insurance companies or banks.
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Best Performance
These 529 plans had the highest returns over the past 5-year period.
The West Virginia SMART529 Select 529 savings program is managed by Hartford Funds and features age-based and static portfolio options utilizing Dimensional Fund Advisors mutual funds. Although DFA funds are typically available only through financial advisers, this 529 plan is direct-sold. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.
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The Maryland Senator Edward J. Kasemeyer College Investment Plan is a direct-sold 529 plan available to residents of any state, and is managed by T. Rowe Price. Maryland residents may enjoy a state tax deduction for contributions to the plan.
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T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan is a direct-sold plan that offers eight enrollment-based portfolios and six static portfolios. The investment portfolios offered by the plan utilize T. Rowe Price mutual funds. Plan participation is open to residents of any state.
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Restricted to West Virginia residents
The West Virginia SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan, available on a direct basis to those who meet certain West Virginia residency requirements, features a menu of age-based and static portfolio options utilizing index funds from Vanguard as well as an Invesco stable value portfolio option. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.
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TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc as program manager of the Bright Start College Savings Program . The Illinois direct-sold Plan features two age-based options using either a Passive Enrollment or Active Blend Enrollment Year Portfolios, three Passive Static Allocation Portfolios, three Active Blend Static Allocation Portfolios, individual fund portfolios from a number of fund families and an FDIC-insured option.
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