Best rated 529 plans of 2019

We assign a rating to each state-sponsored 529 plan ranging from one cap (least attractive) to five caps (most attractive). The 5-Cap Rating represents our analysis of the overall usefulness of a state's 529 plan based on many considerations.

The 5-Cap Rating is not strictly a measure of historical returns and it is not a predictor of future investment performance, level of investment risk, or financial solvency of the program funds.

plan name

state

rating

New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

Ohio’s 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

my529

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

Edvest

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

CollegeBound Saver (Direct-sold)

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

Nebraska Education Savings Trust -- Direct College Savings Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

Bright Start Direct-Sold College Savings Program

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

Invest529

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

University of Alaska College Savings Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

The Vanguard 529 College Savings Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP)

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

College Savings Iowa

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

MOST - Missouri's 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold)

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

SSGA Upromise 529 Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

NextGen 529 -- Client Direct Series

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

ScholarShare 529

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program (Direct-sold)

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan*Open only to state residents

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

START Saving Program*Open only to state residents

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

U.Fund College Investing Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

Path2College 529 Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

CollegeCounts 529 Fund

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

DC College Savings Plan

(resident rating)

(non-resident rating)

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Best rated 529 plans of 2019

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Helping families save for college since 1999