CSTAX Performance — American Funds College 2027 Fund, Class 529-A
Data updated: 2026-09-28
CSTAX returned +1.30% year to date and +5.10% over one year to Jul 2026. Annualised returns are +6.44% over 3 years and +2.61% over 5 years. The fund trailed its Target-Date category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $121, against $146 for the category, and to $105 over one year, against $116. Volatility over the past three years was 5.09% a year. In the 12 months to Jul 2026 the fund took in a net $166.6M, and assets reached $3.95B.
CSTAX Growth of $100
What $100 invested in American Funds College 2027 Fund grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Target-Date category average over the same months.
| Period | CSTAX | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) | $105 | $116 |
| 3 years (Aug 2023 – Jul 2026) | $121 | $146 |
| 5 years (Aug 2021 – Jul 2026) | $114 | $142 |
| Since data start (Aug 2019 – Jul 2026) | $134 | $186 |
CSTAX Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jul 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +1.30% |
| 1 year | +5.10% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +6.44% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +2.61% |
CSTAX Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of American Funds College 2027 Fund, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | +1.30% |
| 2025 | +9.00% |
| 2024 | +5.57% |
| 2023 | +6.57% |
| 2022 | −9.86% |
| 2021 | +6.50% |
| 2020 | +7.67% |
| 2019 (Aug–Dec) | +4.24% |
CSTAX Monthly Returns
Monthly total returns as reported on SEC Form N-PORT.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +0.7% | +1.2% | −2.0% | +1.1% | +0.6% | +0.2% | −0.4% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +1.3% | +1.3% | −0.3% | +0.4% | +0.5% | +1.9% | −0.2% | +1.4% | +0.9% | +0.4% | +0.9% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | +0.3% | −0.3% | +1.4% | −2.1% | +1.7% | +1.0% | +2.4% | +1.6% | +1.3% | −1.7% | +1.1% | −1.2% |
| 2023 | +2.7% | −2.5% | +2.3% | +0.8% | −1.5% | +0.4% | +0.9% | −0.9% | −2.3% | −1.3% | +4.6% | +3.5% |
| 2022 | −1.7% | −1.0% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +0.9% | −3.1% | +2.8% | −2.6% | −5.3% | +1.4% | +4.1% | −1.1% |
| 2021 | −0.5% | +0.2% | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1.0% | +0.1% | +0.9% | +0.4% | −1.4% | +1.4% | −0.5% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | +0.3% | −2.2% | −4.0% | +4.4% | +1.7% | +0.7% | +2.3% | +1.2% | −0.9% | −1.2% | +4.3% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | +0.5% | +0.5% | +0.8% | +1.0% | +1.3% |
CSTAX Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Aug 2023 – Jul 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 5.09%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.38 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +4.59% (Nov 2023)
- Worst month: −2.26% (Sep 2023)
CSTAX Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of American Funds College 2027 Fund, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $166.6M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $804.6M
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 1.26×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | $44.8M | $127.7M | −$82.9M |
| Jun 2026 | $45.2M | $43.9M | $1.3M |
| May 2026 | $49.7M | $35.9M | $13.8M |
| Apr 2026 | $46.7M | $33.5M | $13.2M |
| Mar 2026 | $49.2M | $33.3M | $15.9M |
| Feb 2026 | $43.9M | $32.8M | $11.1M |
| Jan 2026 | $53.8M | $76.8M | −$23.0M |
| Dec 2025 | $263.1M | $72.0M | $191.1M |
| Nov 2025 | $51.3M | $31.8M | $19.5M |
| Oct 2025 | $59.2M | $35.2M | $24.0M |
| Sep 2025 | $51.1M | $38.4M | $12.7M |
| Aug 2025 | $46.7M | $76.7M | −$30.0M |
CSTAX Assets Under Management
Net assets of American Funds College 2027 Fund by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 | $3.95B |
| 2026-04-30 | $4.00B |
| 2026-01-31 | $3.94B |
| 2025-10-31 | $3.89B |
| 2025-07-31 | $3.78B |
| 2025-04-30 | $3.69B |
| 2025-01-31 | $3.57B |
| 2024-10-31 | $3.49B |
| 2024-07-31 | $3.40B |
| 2024-04-30 | $3.20B |
| 2024-01-31 | $3.16B |
| 2023-10-31 | $2.86B |
For information only. Not investment advice: figures are as reported in SEC filings and may contain errors or be out of date. Past performance does not guarantee future results.