Skip to Content

U.S. Index Funds

Topnotch passive funds for the core of your domestic portfolio.
The advantages are starting to pile up for index funds and exchange-traded funds. First, there’s the cost advantage: Traditional index funds and exchange-traded funds that simply track a market benchmark rather than attempting to beat it tend to be much less expensive than their actively managed counterparts. That translates into a performance advantage, too, as low costs are highly correlated with an investment product being able to beat its peer group. Equity index funds and ETFs tend to be more tax-efficient than active funds, too. But just as there are worthwhile active funds, there are also index funds that aren’t so great. Some ETFs and index funds are saddled with high costs; others have narrow, gimmicky focuses or track overly concentrated indexes. Morningstar’s U.S. Index Funds pick list includes top-rated domestic passive funds from our small-, mid, and large cap categories.
Get Morningstar's unbiased take on where to invest next
Act on your investment ideas with trusted ratings, key metrics, and independent analysis available only with a subscription to Morningstar Investor. Jump-start your research with pre-filtered screens from our seasoned analysts or build custom screens based on your goals.
Name
Ticker
Morningstar Category
Morningstar Rating for Funds
Overall
Total Return
1 Year
Total Return
3 Year
Total Return
5 Year
Schwab Fundamental US Large Company IdxSFLNXLarge Value26.88%9.06%14.41%
Tpvnns Jrnmchgmhkl CX Lcdrb Cbtktqc TnwBJVCFSmall Blend22.37%3.40%10.48%
Ccztkd Nsznszjvydvbd JfmtdHQSTMQForeign Large Blend15.08%4.07%7.90%
Cqszrt Fjgqq Hbz XhjbdQDVLFSmall Blend19.97%−0.59%7.93%
Chmjnc Qhbbw Lvchf Gxprpw BjfkxHNBTHLarge Blend29.19%8.44%14.15%
Gdmmlr ® HZ Ydwms-Hsz Bslszp NrkrfNGDYWLarge Growth38.99%11.82%18.33%
Htcxyt ® NG Ddxwj-Fpc Bvvgy HmvsyvqhGXXHMLarge Value21.24%5.97%10.09%
Fkkrnj ® PY Bbp-Sky RvrnqQJYBRHMid-Cap Blend23.46%4.24%10.67%
Hndgdz® K&L 578 ZzmjxprmTJDLRLarge Blend29.47%10.08%15.01%
Yxdsnqy N&P 823 Tlpfq DgywvbdbjtvGQDFBBLarge Blend28.99%9.70%14.56%
Swgcqhq W&X Wdcnxw Hlqrh CpgbzbzlHMTSCMid-Cap Blend23.97%4.64%11.15%
Tcqplqt F&S Wrwzmbwk Wqxjp VrhgjyrCXJWTFSmall Blend18.46%0.93%8.85%
Sqxpxd 384 Swsmmdc QxddKZQBFLarge Blend30.23%
Yxdjh Zxqfrd Sbh Ktw Srq Xd sz-HX DVZWLNForeign Large Blend14.84%1.69%6.90%
Dtjwd Rnjmmy Syl Rtw Rkj Tz rb-HW Lbf MFZRHJMLForeign Large Blend14.87%1.69%6.86%
Jnxtb Njsdzv Tbsdn/Fqw Prc Kysjch LbybxbvLJKMHDMid-Cap Blend27.53%0.99%10.13%
X. Hvwy Sddlt Dmtcdp Lpmkf 415CVJPWQLarge Blend29.26%9.91%14.83%
H. Rktx Nsnkj Lgddngzv Dcfpwg Qhjvkc VzmmzBMYKMid-Cap Blend29.88%0.56%9.38%
G. Pvwy Bbhrq Qfsmrlvxgqvgt Gh VxvgSQHKDHForeign Large Blend14.89%3.88%8.02%
X. Jzmb Mbhmm Ssk-Qkc JwfjdQKNFYWMid-Cap Growth31.25%1.51%11.18%
P. Mhvp Gpyvz Gjkyg-Jpy BmqslMKPBMSmall Blend22.29%−0.81%7.33%
K. Tgmy Bymnw Nltdk Kcgnwr Ynnlyg NrcvPHPWCLarge Blend29.41%8.51%13.94%
Lndjqbld Nlcrf Fwckjtff KrrkwllDVRDCEnergy Limited Partnership26.18%13.88%9.14%
KJHCK Yqlkmym B Jlyzqdzshlkls Hfr XjncRJVXForeign Large Blend14.40%3.53%7.32%
QLQHC Vgtfmlw H Dhf Kwn LvnpvMPVGWMid-Cap Blend26.36%4.70%10.89%
QDRVX Syrzbwh X Pppgd JzgpkGRHFQLarge Blend28.73%9.27%14.64%
PTTK HBWY Pyhtc Ymcyqg SV VchdbrkhzgHYFRJTDiversified Emerging Mkts14.53%
KCBR VJPB Tlltk Jrptfq TB SdvnddfrpMJVTSmall Blend19.77%
Cbvtjghh 723 Nqwkw QfmtvczmVQYXJKLarge Blend29.33%9.96%14.88%
Ldqmvqml Cwnhlmngc Cpxczfl Dcjyv YfsLLGTDNForeign Large Blend14.55%2.76%7.58%
Jjtglfkq Bxchqkvq Jvsg Hsrvp Pnt BbhHGPWYDiversified Emerging Mkts15.36%−1.62%5.23%
Vqljrqqd Syhxqcdr Wxlkz XllkvbqmskTJVTCEurope Stock15.90%4.34%8.54%
Wxbhnshm Vrzstswb Brsbqz Vdwps DkxcsjhcQHMNBWMid-Cap Blend27.33%0.31%9.63%
Qgwjvsvv Gjtjmc Htcxv QwdhdxrxTBCTHLarge Growth36.74%10.49%17.75%
Zqtzyhmf Dbmmt Btl Nrrpp GzynvnbtjqKGMMHBLarge Blend29.95%9.37%14.75%
Kpxnynxx Fjb Hkz Nhgjk ZhyjlrgpPWVHMid-Cap Blend23.85%4.03%10.32%
Tdrjnnlc Mct-Xjt Jfzpvw Lwkyq SscpmcgjshZJBLPMid-Cap Growth23.77%3.38%10.70%
Mbrhfydg Cbz-Rlc Yhnnc Ydsgm XfjhqxvzwdbVLYTZMid-Cap Value21.27%4.78%9.92%
Nqstdxlf Ksjxygz Fxfhq Fddnq TpzvwKHBBBPDiversified Pacific/Asia12.52%0.38%6.05%
Lbyqmhlf Ktbf Chqhjt Vjkpl QrkhkvHLBVReal Estate9.19%−0.94%2.93%
Dbrjpght Sgbkm Hms Dlrhsz Cwlxb McrWCPMPCSmall Growth19.37%−1.07%7.77%
Mvbqybpv Hzjgk Dck Bkwpt DwJWFHHSmall Blend22.68%2.29%9.53%
Njgsglgk Mszmw Cbw Kjnrc Nbpdl VsfJTZYSmall Value25.22%4.66%10.22%
Djqrtkjp Hbdpp Wlwv Dxjgq Yjcwk KRBZNRForeign Large Blend14.69%1.57%6.83%
Ldpbvpvn Zcylg Rhhnc Lyp Cxf BbfhzGSXGQLarge Blend29.00%8.34%14.07%
Yzfnynwr Sqfhd Gzxmn FqyxJRMDLarge Value22.25%7.83%11.36%
Yzhgvvf 597 Mfggf NfcqpNWMFLarge Blend29.83%9.75%15.05%
Smmmzyh Jxxjqrft Wyscdn HycvlmWDWNLMid-Cap Blend25.92%1.59%10.68%
Zfdv Glvgmmyfcbzdc Pmydd Nwsb KMWFNNWZForeign Large Blend14.31%3.20%7.02%
Hmbc Yklqkgk Lcphf Njk Lvwrfj Gqq Rbyg RLWBTLarge Growth38.39%12.93%19.36%
See which securities made the list. Subscribe to Morningstar Investor today.

List Criteria

Index Funds

Index funds track a particular index, like the S&P 500, and attempt to match its returns by holding the same stocks that are in the index in the same proportion. Index funds are considered “passive” because they only hold what is in the index (or a representative sampling), and only change their portfolios when the index changes. Most indexes reflect or represent an entire market, region, sector, or style, and hence most index funds are intended to offer investors identical exposure to those markets. An index fund’s performance should match the performance of the index minus the expenses associated with running the fund, which are typically low.

Diversified U.S. Stock Funds

These U.S.-stock funds come from the nine categories associated with the Morningstar Style Box: large growth, large blend, large value, mid-cap growth, mid-cap blend, mid-cap value, small growth, small blend, and small value. Funds in these categories cover most of the U.S. stock market, from small companies to large, growth companies to value stocks.

Medalist Funds (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)

The Medalist Rating for funds reflects our forward-looking assessment of a fund’s ability to outperform its peer group (funds in the same category) and benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis over the long term. We assign the ratings on a five-tier scale with three positive (Medalist) ratings of Gold, Silver, and Bronze; a Neutral rating; and a Negative rating. If a fund receives a Gold, Silver, or Bronze rating, it means that Morningstar analysts expect it to outperform over a full market cycle of at least five years.

Share Class Exclusions Applied

Many fund families offer multiple versions of the same fund but with variations on the sales fees that are charged and/or investor qualifications. In some cases, certain share classes may be for institutions (such as company retirement funds) or otherwise have a high investment minimum. We've limited our list to funds that are primarily used by and available to individual, or retail, investors.

Sponsor Center