Tennessee has no state income tax, so you miss out on any home-state deduction for 529 contributions. That frees you to shop nationally for one thing: razor-thin fees backed by trusted portfolio managers at The College Investor.

Beginning in 2024, unused 529 dollars can roll into your child’s Roth IRA—up to $35,000 total—under the SECURE 2.0 law, according to the Associated Press. No tax, no penalty, and an instant head start on retirement.

We scored every direct-sold 529 on a 100-point rubric that puts cost first and track record second. Six plans rose to the top. Over the next few sections we’ll show you why—and how to match the right one to your family.

Need a reality check on tuition math? See our deep dive into the true cost of college before you pick a plan.

Ready? Let’s meet the top scorer.

1. Illinois Bright Start 529 College Savings Program

The College Board puts today’s full cost of a four-year public college at roughly $30,990 a year once room, board, and books are included.

Bright Start’s breakdown of the true cost of college unpacks each expense category and offers a calculator that turns that big number into a monthly savings target—evidence that trimming ten basis points in fees can cover real-world costs.

Why Bright Start leads our list

Morningstar has awarded Bright Start a Gold medal seven years in a row, an honor reserved for only a handful of plans each year, according to a Morningstar press release.

That streak tells us three things: costs stay low, the investment process is repeatable, and the state treasury keeps trimming fees. For Tennesseans without a tax carrot, those points carry extra weight.

The plan’s index-based Passive Enrollment portfolios cost roughly 0.11 to 0.15 percent a year—about a dime per hundred dollars—and undercut TNStars by more than ten basis points. Over 18 years that gap compounds into thousands.

Bright Start uses Vanguard index funds inside a direct-sold plan that opens with no minimum. Whether you funnel birthday checks or schedule monthly transfers, every dollar works for you instead of covering overhead.

Next, we’ll see how Utah’s my529 gives hands-on investors even more control.

2. Utah my529

A custom toolkit at index-fund prices

Utah’s flagship 529 mirrors the state’s frugal reputation. The standard age-based portfolios cost about 0.14 percent all-in, matching Illinois, while adding a feature power users love: full DIY control.

Inside your dashboard you can mix more than two dozen Vanguard and Dimensional funds, set exact percentages, and schedule automatic rebalances. Prefer a simpler path? Choose an age-based track once and enjoy the same low fee.

That flexibility matters when markets shift or your risk tolerance changes. If your student wins a scholarship and you want to cut risk quickly, you can move money into short-term bonds or an FDIC option without leaving the plan or triggering taxes.

Opening the account is easy: no minimum and no maintenance fee when you choose e-delivery. Customer support routinely earns high marks for treating out-of-state families like locals. For both tinkerers and set-and-forget savers, my529 delivers maximum control at Vanguard-level pricing.

Next, we head east to see how Massachusetts uses Fidelity’s scale to keep fees just as lean.

3. Massachusetts U.Fund College Investing Plan

Fidelity power, bargain-bin costs

Massachusetts trimmed fees and earned a Morningstar Gold rating in 2023, bringing U.Fund into the same low-cost league as Utah and Illinois, according to Morningstar. The direct-sold plan charges about 0.11 to 0.14 percent for its all-index age-based portfolios.

How does it stay so cheap? Fidelity Zero and Institutional index funds form the core, while the program fee sits below a tenth of a percent. On a $10,000 balance you pay roughly eleven dollars a year—coffee-change pricing that adds up over time.

Opening the account is painless. Start with no minimum, schedule $15 a month if that fits your budget, and manage everything inside Fidelity’s familiar dashboard. If you already invest with Fidelity, seeing every bucket on one screen is hard to beat.

Prefer autopilot? The Index Series age-based track moves from nearly all stocks to mostly bonds as college nears. Hands-on savers can pick static blends or add Fidelity’s ESG options, though sticking with the index lineup keeps expenses near the floor.

Bottom line: U.Fund pairs Fortune-500 scale with farmers-market pricing. It stands out if you want rock-bottom costs, a polished interface, and the comfort of a household name. Next we shift to New York, where Vanguard simplicity takes center stage.

4. New York 529 Direct Plan

Vanguard simplicity with zero barriers to entry

Sometimes the smartest move is the cleanest one. New York’s direct-sold plan relies on low-cost Vanguard index funds in age-based or static blends, wrapped in a fee that hovers near 0.12 percent, according to the New York 529 plan. No program surcharge, no bells or whistles—just broad market exposure at a price that barely dents returns.

Ease starts before you fund it. You can open an account with nothing, then add money whenever grandparents hand over birthday checks. That zero-minimum policy is handy if you want an account number the day your child is born but need a few months before contributions ramp up.

Inside the dashboard you choose one of three risk tracks—Aggressive, Moderate, or Conservative—and New York adjusts the glide path each January. For parents who prefer not to tinker, it is pure set-and-forget.

Scale brings another perk. With tens of billions under management, the plan negotiates razor-thin fund expenses and reinvests savings into service upgrades. The result is a website that is easy on the eyes, a gifting portal that lets relatives contribute in minutes, and phone reps who guide out-of-state callers with ease.

In short, New York offers Vanguard pricing with zero friction. If you crave autopilot and want every dollar tracking a global index at near-wholesale cost, this plan belongs on your shortlist. Up next, we explore Ohio’s wider menu for savers who like a few extra knobs to turn.

5. Ohio CollegeAdvantage

A wide menu of low-cost funds and specialty options

If you like choices, Ohio rolls out the red carpet. The CollegeAdvantage plan pairs Vanguard index portfolios with more building blocks than any rival on this list. You can add Dimensional factor funds for a small-value tilt, move cash into a stable-value option when freshman year approaches, or stay in a hands-off age-based track.

Costs stay tame as long as you stick to the index lanes. Most passive portfolios hover near 0.15 percent, just a hair above Utah and Illinois, according to the CollegeAdvantage fee table. That tiny premium buys the freedom to fine-tune allocations without leaving the plan. Active funds exist, but Tennessee savers focused on rock-bottom expenses can simply ignore the pricier choices.

Opening is simple: twenty-five dollars gets you started, or set up an automatic transfer and skip the minimum. The portal is information-rich yet clear, guiding you through fund menus without jargon. Customer support has helped out-of-state families for decades, so questions get real answers instead of scripts.

For families who want extra control without sacrificing thrift, Ohio hits the sweet spot. Next we visit California’s ultra-lean ScholarShare to see how low fees can go.

6. California ScholarShare 529

Ultra-low index fees plus a safe-harbor option

California offers no state tax break to its own residents, so ScholarShare competes purely on merit, and it shows. The passive Index Enrollment portfolios cost about 0.08 percent when fully in equities—the lowest price tag of any mainstream 529; even after the mix tilts toward bonds, the all-in expense still tracks near 0.12 percent, according to the ScholarShare fee schedule.

That small fee adds up. On a $50,000 balance you pay roughly $40 a year. Put the same money in an average-priced plan at 0.45 percent and the annual toll tops $200. Over 18 years those savings can cover several semesters of textbooks.

ScholarShare keeps the menu simple yet flexible. Choose an enrollment-date track or one of a dozen static portfolios. Want to sleep easily senior year? Move funds into the Principal Plus Interest option, an insurance-backed stable-value account that offers principal protection at a steady rate. Few rivals provide a similar safety net.

Opening the account takes $25 and about five minutes. The TIAA-run interface is clean and mobile-friendly, and the gifting tools let relatives chip in quickly. If you lean toward ESG investing, the Social Choice Index portfolio delivers that angle without leaving the low-fee lane.

For Tennesseans laser-focused on cost, California proves you can pair rock-bottom expenses with useful flexibility and a built-in landing pad for conservative money—all in one package.

How to pick your personal winner in thirty seconds

You have six strong choices. The quickest way to land on the right one is to ask a few blunt questions, then match the answer.

First, does tweaking asset mixes excite you? If so, choose Utah or Ohio. They hand you dozens of individual funds and even stable-value pockets for late-stage safety.

Want the lowest expense ratio and nothing else? California’s 0.08 percent index track wins by a whisker, with Illinois close behind once you add its Gold-rated oversight.

Prefer a simple Vanguard autopilot with zero minimums? New York takes that crown. Already handle money at Fidelity and want every account on one screen? Massachusetts will feel like home.

If cost, convenience, and reputation all carry equal weight, start with Illinois. It pairs Gold-rated stewardship with near-rock-bottom pricing and needs no upfront dollars to get rolling.

Run through those questions, trust your first reaction, and open the account today. Every plan here is battle-tested; the only wrong choice is waiting.

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