American Funds College 2027 Fund (CSTAX) belongs to the Diversified Portfolio category. Below you'll find alternative mutual funds from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with CSTAX. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to CSTAX
CSTAX charges 0.41% annually. There are 146 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.02%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity 70% Allocation Fund | 0.02% | — | Jan 2022 | CSTAX vs FRGAX | |
| PGIM 60/40 Allocation Fund | 0.03% | — | Sep 2017 | CSTAX vs PALDX | |
| Vanguard Balanced Index Fund Institutional Shares | 0.04% | 63.70B | Dec 2000 | CSTAX vs VBAIX | |
| TIAA-CREF Lifestyle Aggressive Growth Fund | 0.04% | — | Dec 2011 | CSTAX vs TSAIX | |
| Vanguard Tax-Managed Balanced Fund Admiral Shares | 0.05% | 12.30B | Sep 1994 | CSTAX vs VTMFX |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to CSTAX
CSTAX has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 50. There are 399 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 99.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Defensive Strategy Allo... | 99 | — | Nov 2003 | CSTAX vs STDAX | |
| Thornburg Investment Income Builder Fund Class I | 98 | — | Dec 2002 | CSTAX vs TIBIX | |
| Davis Appreciation & Income Fund | 97 | — | Apr 1992 | CSTAX vs RPFCX | |
| Nuveen Flexible Income Fund | 96 | — | Dec 2009 | CSTAX vs NWQIX | |
| Pioneer Balanced ESG Fund | 95 | — | Dec 1991 | CSTAX vs AYBLX |
Top Performing CSTAX Alternatives (YTD)
CSTAX is at 1.55% YTD. There are 531 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 31.44%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allspring Diversified Capital Builder Fund | 31.44% | — | Jan 1998 | CSTAX vs EKBAX | |
| ICON Equity Income Fund | 20.32% | — | May 2004 | CSTAX vs IOEZX | |
| Greenspring Fund | 18.97% | — | Jun 1983 | CSTAX vs GRSPX | |
| Thornburg Investment Income Builder Fund Class I | 18.62% | — | Dec 2002 | CSTAX vs TIBIX | |
| Disciplined Growth Investors Fund | 17.68% | — | Aug 2011 | CSTAX vs DGIFX |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to CSTAX
CSTAX has 3.08% 1-year volatility. There are 4 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 0.86%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Defensive Strategy Allo... | 0.86% | — | Nov 2003 | CSTAX vs STDAX | |
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Conservative Strategy F... | 2.80% | — | Nov 2003 | CSTAX vs SICIX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Multi-Asset Capita... | 2.92% | — | Apr 2012 | CSTAX vs SCLAX | |
| Ave Maria Bond Fund | 3.05% | — | Apr 2003 | CSTAX vs AVEFX | |
| Quantified Managed Income Fund | 3.52% | — | Aug 2013 | CSTAX vs QBDSX |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to CSTAX
CSTAX has a 1-year max drawdown of -2.72%. There are 4 mutual funds in the Diversified Portfolio category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -0.36%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Defensive Strategy Allo... | -0.36% | — | Nov 2003 | CSTAX vs STDAX | |
| SEI Institutional Managed Trust Multi-Asset Capita... | -2.32% | — | Apr 2012 | CSTAX vs SCLAX | |
| DFA Global Allocation 25/75 Portfolio | -2.64% | — | Dec 2003 | CSTAX vs DGTSX | |
| SEI Asset Allocation Trust Conservative Strategy F... | -2.65% | — | Nov 2003 | CSTAX vs SICIX | |
| Ave Maria Bond Fund | -2.83% | — | Apr 2003 | CSTAX vs AVEFX |
Other Mutual Funds from American Funds
The 10 most viewed American Funds mutual funds shown here include ABALX, AIVSX, AWSHX and span 7 categories.
Often Compared With CSTAX
Investors most often compare CSTAX with CMCSA, SIFAX, FHLKX. These 20 comparison targets span 3 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare CSTAX with Any Fund or Stock
Compare CSTAX with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair CSTAX with funds that move differently
American Funds College 2027 Fund alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to CSTAX.
Explore CSTAX Diversifiers