CTAKX Performance — American Funds College 2036 Fund, Class 529-F-3
Data updated: 2026-09-28
CTAKX returned +6.47% year to date and +13.49% over one year to Jul 2026. Annualised returns are +14.19% over 3 years and +7.47% over 5 years. Against its Target-Date category average the fund came out ahead over three years but behind over one: $100 invested three years ago grew to $149, against $146 for the category, and to $113 over one year, against $116. Volatility over the past three years was 9.50% a year. In the 12 months to Jul 2026 the fund took in a net $565.8M, and assets reached $3.94B.
CTAKX Growth of $100
What $100 invested in American Funds College 2036 Fund grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Target-Date category average over the same months.
| Period | CTAKX | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) | $113 | $116 |
| 3 years (Aug 2023 – Jul 2026) | $149 | $146 |
| 5 years (Aug 2021 – Jul 2026) | $143 | $142 |
| Since data start (Aug 2020 – Jul 2026) | $179 | $174 |
CTAKX Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jul 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +6.47% |
| 1 year | +13.49% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +14.19% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +7.47% |
CTAKX Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of American Funds College 2036 Fund, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | +6.47% |
| 2025 | +16.78% |
| 2024 | +14.02% |
| 2023 | +19.51% |
| 2022 | −18.06% |
| 2021 | +12.72% |
| 2020 (Aug–Dec) | +14.55% |
CTAKX 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 | +2.0% | +1.2% | −4.7% | +5.7% | +2.7% | +0.3% | −0.5% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +3.1% | −0.2% | −2.9% | +0.5% | +4.2% | +4.2% | +0.6% | +1.9% | +2.0% | +1.2% | +1.2% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | +0.4% | +3.5% | +2.7% | −3.2% | +3.1% | +1.9% | +1.8% | +2.1% | +1.9% | −1.6% | +2.7% | −1.8% |
| 2023 | +5.9% | −2.6% | +2.7% | +1.1% | −0.6% | +4.0% | +2.7% | −1.7% | −3.8% | −2.1% | +7.9% | +5.2% |
| 2022 | −5.5% | −2.2% | +0.1% | −7.3% | +0.5% | −6.6% | +5.6% | −3.3% | −7.5% | +4.4% | +6.4% | −3.0% |
| 2021 | −0.4% | +1.8% | +1.1% | +3.6% | +1.1% | +0.9% | +0.8% | +2.1% | −3.1% | +4.0% | −2.2% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | +9.7% | +4.4% |
CTAKX Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Aug 2023 – Jul 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 9.50%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 1.02 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +7.91% (Nov 2023)
- Worst month: −4.74% (Mar 2026)
CTAKX Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of American Funds College 2036 Fund, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $565.8M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $811.3M
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 3.31×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | $44.7M | $25.4M | $19.3M |
| Jun 2026 | $42.9M | $23.1M | $19.8M |
| May 2026 | $44.9M | $19.6M | $25.3M |
| Apr 2026 | $46.2M | $22.2M | $24.0M |
| Mar 2026 | $50.6M | $20.3M | $30.3M |
| Feb 2026 | $52.7M | $22.4M | $30.3M |
| Jan 2026 | $61.5M | $26.7M | $34.8M |
| Dec 2025 | $306.2M | $21.9M | $284.2M |
| Nov 2025 | $39.4M | $14.0M | $25.4M |
| Oct 2025 | $44.2M | $15.5M | $28.7M |
| Sep 2025 | $39.6M | $16.4M | $23.2M |
| Aug 2025 | $38.4M | $17.9M | $20.5M |
CTAKX Assets Under Management
Net assets of American Funds College 2036 Fund by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 | $3.94B |
| 2026-04-30 | $3.79B |
| 2026-01-31 | $3.63B |
| 2025-10-31 | $3.41B |
| 2025-07-31 | $3.18B |
| 2025-04-30 | $2.85B |
| 2025-01-31 | $2.85B |
| 2024-10-31 | $2.63B |
| 2024-07-31 | $2.51B |
| 2024-04-30 | $2.29B |
| 2024-01-31 | $2.14B |
| 2023-10-31 | $1.79B |
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.