529 fee study
Millions of Americans invest in 529 plans each year to save for college. But before you invest, you should consider 529 plan fees and how they affect your budget.
Savingforcollege.com uses data from 529 program official disclosure statements to inform the 529 Fee Study below. The study compares the lowest and highest 10-year expense totals for all direct-sold 529 savings plans and 529 fees by state.
This reference makes it easy for you to compare 529 plan fees, even helping you narrow down the 529 plans with the lowest fees.
Please click here for a further explanation of this fee study.
Savingforcollege.com's 529 Fee Study - as of January 15, 2008
| 10-Year Costs on $10,000 Investment | View report sorted by highest cost or state |
| Direct-sold 529 Plan Name | Lowest cost | 2nd lowest | 2nd highest | Highest cost | Annual account fee | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana START** | 0 | 19 | 145 | 320 | $0 | Louisiana residency required. Option 2 is a no-cost fixed income fund managed by the State Treasurer. |
| Utah UESP | 0 | 358 | 480 | 493 | $0 | Fee waived for Utah residents. Option 1 is no-cost Public Treasurer's Investment Fund. |
| Oregon OCSP* | 273 | 285 | 965 | 989 | $0 | Fee waived for Oregon residents. |
| Ohio CollegeAdvantage | 293 | 406 | 978 | 1096 | $0 | Ohio residency required for Putnam direct-sold options. |
| Ohio CollegeAdvantage | 293 | 406 | 468 | 505 | $0 | Nonresidents may not use Putnam direct-sold options. |
| Kansas Learning Quest* | 319 | 356 | 1229 | 1286 | $0 | Fee waived for Kansas residents. |
| Illinois Bright Start | 359 | 371 | 771 | 796 | $10/$0 | Fee on Vanguard options only. |
| North Carolina National CSP | 377 | 435 | 1395 | 1507 | $0 | |
| Virginia VEST | 396 | 421 | 681 | 718 | $0 | Does not include one-time $25 application fee. |
| Alaska UA CSP | 418 | 1088 | 1393 | 1439 | $25/$0 | Fee waivable under certain conditions. No fee on ACT option. |
| South Carolina Future Scholar | 431 | 518 | 714 | 726 | $0 | South Carolina residency required for direct-sold plan. |
| Oregon OCSP | 469 | 481 | 965 | 989 | $20/$0 | Fee for nonresidents - Vanguard options only. |
| Rhode Island CollegeBoundfund | 493 | 847 | 1455 | 1824 | $0 | Rhode Island residency required for direct-sold plan. |
| Kansas Learning Quest | 515 | 552 | 1419 | 1476 | $20 | Fee for nonresidents. |
| Utah UESP | 523 | 555 | 689 | 676 | Up to $20 | Fee for nonresidents is $4 per $1,000. |
| South Dakota CollegeAccess 529 | 531 | 581 | 819 | 1077 | $0 | South Dakota residency required for direct-sold plan. |
| Michigan MESP | 554 | 554 | 554 | 554 | $0 | |
| Wisconsin EdVest | 555 | 577 | 1453 | 1491 | $0 | Fee waived for Wisconsin residents. |
| Maine NextGen | 556 | 924 | 1198 | 1215 | $0 | Fee waived for Maine residents. |
| Arizona Fidelity ACSP | 628 | 898 | 1322 | 1328 | $0 | |
| California ScholarShare CSP | 628 | 898 | 1322 | 1328 | $0 | |
| Delaware DCIP | 628 | 898 | 1322 | 1328 | $0 | |
| Massachusetts U.Fund | 628 | 898 | 1315 | 1328 | $0 | |
| Nevada Vanguard 529 | 628 | 689 | 859 | 871 | $0 | Does not include the $20 annual fee for balances under $3,000. |
| New Hampshire UNIQUE | 628 | 898 | 1315 | 1328 | $0 | |
| Georgia Path2College | 629 | 715 | 885 | 945 | $0 | |
| Iowa CSI | 653 | 653 | 653 | 653 | $0 | |
| Texas College Savings Plan | 673 | 796 | 953 | 965 | $0 | |
| New York's 529 College Savings Direct | 701 | 701 | 701 | 701 | $0 | |
| Wisconsin EdVest | 749 | 771 | 1638 | 1676 | $20 | Fee for nonresidents. |
| Alabama Higher Education 529 | 750 | 798 | 1646 | 1757 | $0 | Alabama residency required for direct-sold plan. |
| Missouri MOST | 774 | 810 | 1669 | 1802 | $0 | |
| District of Columbia DC 529 | 778 | 1033 | 2309 | 2362 | $15 | District of Columbia residency required for direct-sold plan. |
| Maine NextGen | 800 | 1166 | 1438 | 1455 | $25 | Fee for nonresidents, waivable under certain conditions. |
| West Virginia SMART529 Select* | 809 | 870 | 1059 | 1082 | $0 | Fee waived for West Virginia residents. |
| Connecticut CHET | 812 | 812 | 812 | 812 | $0 | |
| Minnesota MCSP | 812 | 812 | 812 | 812 | $0 | |
| New Mexico The Education Plan's CSP | 857 | 1025 | 1179 | 1215 | $0 | Does not include the $20 annual fee on NM nonresidents with balances under $10,000. |
| Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan | 871 | 871 | 871 | 930 | $0 | |
| West Virginia SMART529 Direct | 871 | 1037 | 1178 | 1259 | $0 | West Virginia residency required for direct-sold plan. |
| Colorado Direct Portfolio | 930 | 930 | 930 | 930 | $0 | Fee waived for Colorado and Wyoming residents. |
| Idaho IDEAL | 930 | 930 | 930 | 930 | $0 | Fee waived for Idaho residents. |
| Florida FCIP | 955 | 955 | 955 | 955 | $0 | Does not include one-time $50 application fee. |
| Nevada USAA | 960 | 1080 | 1316 | 1199 | $15 | Does not include the $15 annual fee for balances under $5,000. |
| Tennessee BEST | 969 | N/A | N/A | 969 | $0 | |
| Vermont VHEIP | 969 | N/A | N/A | 969 | $0 | |
| Oklahoma College Savings Plan | 981 | 1029 | 1206 | 1217 | $0 | |
| Kentucky KESP | 993 | 993 | 993 | 993 | $0 | |
| Nevada Upromise College Fund | 1004 | 1004 | 1004 | 1004 | $20 | |
| Nebraska NCSP | 1025 | 1037 | 2104 | 2183 | $20 | |
| Arkansas GIFT | 1049 | 1049 | 1049 | 1049 | $0 | Fee waived for Arkansas residents. |
| New Jersey NJBEST | 1049 | 1201 | 1409 | 1477 | $0 | New Jersey residency required for direct-sold plan. |
| North Dakota College SAVE | 1049 | 1049 | 1049 | 1049 | $0 | Fee waived for North Dakota residents. |
| West Virginia SMART529 Select | 1052 | 1112 | 1300 | 1323 | $25 | Fee for nonresidents, waivable under certain conditions. |
| Mississippi MACS | 1066 | 1090 | 1152 | 1311 | $0 | |
| Alaska T. Rowe Price CSP | 1088 | 1147 | 1393 | 1439 | $25 | Fee waivable under certain conditions. |
| Maryland CIP | 1088 | 1206 | 1369 | 1427 | $25 | Fee waivable under certain conditions. |
| Colorado Direct Portfolio | 1122 | 1122 | 1122 | 1122 | $20 | Fee for nonresidents. |
| Idaho IDEAL | 1122 | 1122 | 1122 | 1122 | $20 | Fee for nonresidents. |
| Hawaii HCSP | 1123 | 1123 | 1123 | 1123 | $20 | |
| Kansas Schwab 529 | 1154 | 1351 | 1510 | 1622 | $20 | Fee waivable under certain conditions. |
| Indiana CollegeChoice* | 1225 | 1283 | 1375 | 1420 | $10/$0 | Indiana residency required for direct-sold plan. |
| Arkansas GIFT | 1240 | 1240 | 1240 | 1240 | $20 | Fee for nonresidents. |
| North Dakota College SAVE | 1240 | 1240 | 1240 | 1240 | $20 | Fee for nonresidents. |
| Nebraska TD Ameritrade 529 | 1328 | 1340 | 2381 | 2457 | $20 | |
| Montana Pacific Life Funds 529 | 2475 | 2517 | 2615 | 2616 | $0 | Montana residency required for direct-sold plan. |
| * Amounts do not appear in official program description and are estimated by Savingforcollege.com. | ||||||
| ** Costs for highest-cost option are extrapolated by Savingforcollege.com. | ||||||