Alaska and Utah can teach other states a lesson or two on how to run a 529 college plan, according to Morningstar, which chose the Alaska T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan for its investment selections and the Utah Education Savings Plan Trust for its low costs among the best of the plans sold directly to subscribers.

Among broker-sold plans, 529 funds in Virginia, Colorado and South Dakota, run, respectively, by American Funds, Legg Mason and PIMCO were among the best.

The Wyoming College Achievement Plan, with its high costs was tagged as the worst, though the state is now in discussions to merge with Colorado's.