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Each year, Morningstar s team of manager research analysts evaluates the 529 investment universe and assigns forward-looking, qualitative Morningstar Analyst Ratings for 529 college savings plans based on our assessment of their investment merits. This year is pivotal, as it marks the first methodology enhancement to the ratings that debuted eight years ago. This updated rubric reflects our understanding of what drives compelling outcomes for 529 plan participants and takes into account the broader industry s evolution and rising standards.
This year, Morningstar analysts assigned ratings to 61 plans that captured 97% of the more than $363 billion invested in 529 plans as of Aug. 30, 2020.
Under the enhanced methodology, we now organize our research around four key pillars: Process, People, Parent, and Price. (In prior assessments, a fifth pillar was dedicated solely to performance, but that is now considered in tandem with the People, Process, and Parent Pillars,