1-year Top Performing Direct Plans

Savingforcollege.com ranks the performance of Direct Sold 529 Plans. Direct sold plans are those that consumers can enroll in without using a broker. We have prepared both 1-year and 3-year performance tables. To prepare this ranking, we compared a subset of portfolios from each 529 savings plan, selecting portfolios based on their mix of stocks, bonds, and money-market funds, allowing for an apples-to-apples comparison in seven different asset-allocation categories. This ranking could be a useful tool for you when selecting which Direct 529 Plan might be right for you. 529 Performance Rankings as of December 31, 2007 Direct sold 529 Plans Ranked by 1 Yr performance Updated March 19, 2008 1-year Performance Ranking (click here for 3 Year Performance Table) Rank State Plan Percentile 1 Louisiana START Saving Program 20.07 2 Kansas Schwab 529 College Savings Plan 25.37 3 Alabama Higher Education 529 Fund (Direct-sold) 27.57 4 Indiana CollegeChoice 529 Investment Plan (Direct-sold) 30.06 5 Nebraska College Savings Plan of Nebraska (Direct-sold) 30.57 6 Kansas Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program (Direct-sold) 30.62 7 Arizona Fidelity Arizona College Savings Plan 31.48 8 New Hampshire UNIQUE College Investing Plan 32.95 9 Delaware Delaware College Investment Plan 33.52 10 Massachusetts U.Fund College Investing Plan 34.07 11 West Virginia SMART529 WV Direct 35.14 12 Vermont Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan 35.18 13 Nevada The Vanguard 529 Savings Plan 35.19 14 South Dakota CollegeAccess 529 (Direct-sold) 35.93 15 California The ScholarShare College Savings Plan 36.25 16 New Mexico The Education Plan's College Savings Program (Direct-sold) 37.19 17 Nebraska TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan 37.89 18 Nevada The Upromise College Fund 39.72 19 Utah Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) Trust 44.25 20 Virginia Virginia Education Savings Trust (VEST) 44.28 21 Iowa College Savings Iowa 44.47 22 Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan 46.21 23 North Carolina National College Savings Program 46.49 24 Montana Pacific Life Funds 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) MT 46.89 25 Missouri MOST - Missouri's 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) 47.91 26 Colorado Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan 48.33 27 Oregon Oregon College Savings Plan 49.31 28 Maryland College Savings Plans of Maryland - College Investment Plan 50.33 29 Alaska University of Alaska College Savings Plan 50.92 30 Florida Florida College Investment Plan 51.00 31 New Jersey NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan 51.65 32 Arkansas GIFT College Investing Plan 52.98 33 South Carolina Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) 53.69 34 Tennessee Tennessee's BEST Savings Plan 58.46 35 Kentucky Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust 59.22 36 New York New York's 529 College Savings Program - Direct Plan 59.40 37 Michigan Michigan Education Savings Program 59.81 38 Wisconsin EdVest (Direct-sold) 60.39 39 Rhode Island CollegeBoundfund (Direct-sold, Alternative R) 60.86 40 Ohio Ohio CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan 61.01 41 Minnesota Minnesota College Savings Plan 62.88 42 District of Columbia DC 529 College Savings Program (Direct-sold) 65.73 43 Connecticut Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) 65.73 44 Maine NextGen College Investing Plan - Client Direct Series 70.35 45 Oklahoma Oklahoma College Savings Plan 75.50 46 Mississippi Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) Program 80.76 47 West Virginia SMART529 Select 82.84 48 Georgia Path2College 529 Plan 83.47 49 Nevada USAA College Savings Plan 83.50 - Idaho Idaho College Savings Program (IDeal) NA - Illinois Bright Start College Savings Program - Direct-sold-Plan NA NA = Not Applicable = Program does not have at least 3 portfolios with sufficiently-long performance under our ranking model. The Savingforcollege.com Plan Composite Rankings are derived using the plans relevant portfolio performance in seven unique asset allocation categories. The asset allocation categories used are 100% Equity, 80% Equity, 60% Equity, 40% Equity, 20% Equity, 100% Fixed, and 100% Short Term. The plan composite ranking is determined by the average of its percentile ranking in the seven categories. The performance data underlying these rankings represents past performance and is 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 of their beneficiary's home state offers any tax or other benefits that are available for investments only in such state's 529 plan. Brokers please note: For internal use only and not for use with or to be shown to the investing public. Disclaimer: Bankrate, Inc. 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. Savingforcollege.com ranks the performance of Direct Sold 529 Plans. Direct sold plans are those that consumers can enroll in without using a broker. We have prepared both 1-year and 3-year performance tables. To prepare this ranking, we compared a subset of portfolios from each 529 savings plan, selecting portfolios based on their mix of stocks, bonds, and money-market funds, allowing for an apples-to-apples comparison in seven different asset-allocation categories. This ranking could be a useful tool for you when selecting which Direct 529 Plan might be right for you. 529 Performance Rankings as of December 31, 2007 Direct sold 529 Plans Ranked by 1 Yr performance Updated March 19, 2008 1-year Performance Ranking (click here for 3 Year Performance Table) Rank State Plan Percentile 1 Louisiana START Saving Program 20.07 2 Kansas Schwab 529 College Savings Plan 25.37 3 Alabama Higher Education 529 Fund (Direct-sold) 27.57 4 Indiana CollegeChoice 529 Investment Plan (Direct-sold) 30.06 5 Nebraska College Savings Plan of Nebraska (Direct-sold) 30.57 6 Kansas Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program (Direct-sold) 30.62 7 Arizona Fidelity Arizona College Savings Plan 31.48 8 New Hampshire UNIQUE College Investing Plan 32.95 9 Delaware Delaware College Investment Plan 33.52 10 Massachusetts U.Fund College Investing Plan 34.07 11 West Virginia SMART529 WV Direct 35.14 12 Vermont Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan 35.18 13 Nevada The Vanguard 529 Savings Plan 35.19 14 South Dakota CollegeAccess 529 (Direct-sold) 35.93 15 California The ScholarShare College Savings Plan 36.25 16 New Mexico The Education Plan's College Savings Program (Direct-sold) 37.19 17 Nebraska TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan 37.89 18 Nevada The Upromise College Fund 39.72 19 Utah Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) Trust 44.25 20 Virginia Virginia Education Savings Trust (VEST) 44.28 21 Iowa College Savings Iowa 44.47 22 Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan 46.21 23 North Carolina National College Savings Program 46.49 24 Montana Pacific Life Funds 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) MT 46.89 25 Missouri MOST - Missouri's 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) 47.91 26 Colorado Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan 48.33 27 Oregon Oregon College Savings Plan 49.31 28 Maryland College Savings Plans of Maryland - College Investment Plan 50.33 29 Alaska University of Alaska College Savings Plan 50.92 30 Florida Florida College Investment Plan 51.00 31 New Jersey NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan 51.65 32 Arkansas GIFT College Investing Plan 52.98 33 South Carolina Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) 53.69 34 Tennessee Tennessee's BEST Savings Plan 58.46 35 Kentucky Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust 59.22 36 New York New York's 529 College Savings Program - Direct Plan 59.40 37 Michigan Michigan Education Savings Program 59.81 38 Wisconsin EdVest (Direct-sold) 60.39 39 Rhode Island CollegeBoundfund (Direct-sold, Alternative R) 60.86 40 Ohio Ohio CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan 61.01 41 Minnesota Minnesota College Savings Plan 62.88 42 District of Columbia DC 529 College Savings Program (Direct-sold) 65.73 43 Connecticut Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) 65.73 44 Maine NextGen College Investing Plan - Client Direct Series 70.35 45 Oklahoma Oklahoma College Savings Plan 75.50 46 Mississippi Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) Program 80.76 47 West Virginia SMART529 Select 82.84 48 Georgia Path2College 529 Plan 83.47 49 Nevada USAA College Savings Plan 83.50 - Idaho Idaho College Savings Program (IDeal) NA - Illinois Bright Start College Savings Program - Direct-sold-Plan NA NA = Not Applicable = Program does not have at least 3 portfolios with sufficiently-long performance under our ranking model. The Savingforcollege.com Plan Composite Rankings are derived using the plans relevant portfolio performance in seven unique asset allocation categories. The asset allocation categories used are 100% Equity, 80% Equity, 60% Equity, 40% Equity, 20% Equity, 100% Fixed, and 100% Short Term. The plan composite ranking is determined by the average of its percentile ranking in the seven categories. The performance data underlying these rankings represents past performance and is 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 of their beneficiary's home state offers any tax or other benefits that are available for investments only in such state's 529 plan. Brokers please note: For internal use only and not for use with or to be shown to the investing public. Disclaimer: Bankrate, Inc. 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.