On the surface, Section 529 college investment plans look like such a good deal: Put money in, watch it grow for years, then take it out to pay college or graduate school bills — without any federal tax on your profits.

Many 529s are a good deal, but picking one is an enormous headache.

Each of the 50 states has its own version, most with many options to choose from. Some plans are offered only to state residents, while others are open to anyone. Some states tax withdrawals from out-of-state programs, while others don’t.

Is there any way to cut through all the clutter to find the best plans?

Yes. Pick one of those offered in Utah, Michigan or Alaska. All are open to nonresidents.

That’s the conclusion of Morningstar Inc., the mutual fund evaluation firm.

Morningstar recently released its second annual list of best and worst 529s, which are named for the federal statute that makes them possible.

The evaluation focuses on the quality of the mutual funds offered in each state’s plan, and the annual fees charged.

Utah’s plan, for example, uses low-fee funds from The Vanguard Group. While states on the worst-of list, such as Alabama, Arizona and Maine, charge big fees on top of the funds’ fees, Utah charges next to nothing. (Utah’s program: 800-418-2551; www.uesp.org)

Avoiding high fees is the first rule of 529 selection.

The second rule — mine, not Morningstar’s — is to steer clear of funds sold through brokers. These generally entail paying upfront sales commissions known as loads, and the continuing annual fees are often larger than those of plans sold directly to investors by the providers. If you must go with a broker-sold plan, Morningstar says the best are offered by Colorado, Kansas and Virginia.

Fees can chew into your earnings. If your plan were to return, say, 8 percent a year, a $1,000 contribution would grow to nearly $4,000 after 18 years. Add a 2 percent fee, cutting the return to 6 percent — and you’d end up with just $2,850.

Damage from fees is especially bad when returns are relatively low, and most experts think a typical mix of stock and bond funds will return less over the next decade or so than in the past.

Of course, a high-fee plan can be a winner if its returns, after fees are deducted, still beat the competitors. But many of today’s 529 plans have not been around long enough to establish any clear track record.

In the long run, then, it’s probably best to pick a plan using low-fee index-style funds that simply try to match the performance of specific segments of the stock and bond markets. That’s what the top-ranked Utah fund does.

As I said, shopping for 529s is a headache. If you want to look beyond the three top-rated plans, get the book “The Best Way to Save for College” by Joseph Hurley, and check out his Web site: www.savingforcollege.com. It has tools for comparing plans, lots of tips and contact information for every state.

Non-Internet users can get contact information for any plan from the nonprofit College Savings Plan Network at (859) 244-8175.