I had no idea what a 529 plan was until I did a search and looked it up. I found this website, click on the link, and maybe it has some useful information for you.
Clare

try looking at Forbes, Money, Kiplinger, Smart Money, online magazines. They all have info and pro/con with regards to 529s.

We have one son in graduate school and one in pharmacy school. The 529 came along too late for us, so I haven't "retained" the information that I found during the research.

Clark Howard talks about them quite a bit. Here's a link to just one of several discussions. Apparently the three best ones are in Utah, New York or Iowa.

Here is a link that might be useful: Clark Howard archives

Thanks, abg--this issue is one of my New Year's Resolutions...

Thanks for the pointer, adopted. That's along the lines of what I'm looking for - a recommendation for the top three. I've checked out a lot of sites and while there's a wealth of information it's hard to find an actual recommendation for the top few plans.

Clare, thanks for that link too. It'll be helpful to read about the nuts and bolts of how these plans operate.

We went through the process last year. Basically you need to look at your own state's plans first. Do they tax your 529 plan? Are the funds your state offers any good? Do they have high fees? Some times there are advantages to staying with your own state's plan. However, if your state's plan isn't that good, or they don't offer any tax benefit, then you may want to consider another state's plan. When we where looking I think Virginia, Utah and Alaska were ranked the best performers. At the time, our state didn't really offer any tax advantages (most funds aren't federally taxed, but some states still tax your funds) and the fees seemed much higher than other state plans. We went with the VA plans b/c they were the best suited for us. There are many websites out there that rank the 529's and try and give you enough info to make your own decision. No one will actually tell you what is best for you though. Bummer!

Good luck.