Vanguard is one of the world’s largest investment management companies, and was founded by John C. Bogle in 1975. It manages around $3 trillion in assets. It offers nearly 160 domestic funds and 120 funds for foreign markets (as of Dec 31, 2014). It offers asset management and financial planning services to clients throughout the globe. Unlike other mutual fund companies, Vanguard is owned by the funds themselves. This helps its management to focus more on shareholder interests. Among other advantages, it claims to offer low-cost, no-load funds.

Below we share with you 5 top-rated Vanguard mutual funds. Each has earned a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and we expect the fund to outperform its peers in the future. To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all Vanguard mutual funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of Vanguard funds .

Vanguard Strategic Equity Investor (VSEQX – MF report) seeks long-term growth of capital. VSEQX invests a large portion of its assets in equity securities. VSEQX invests in both small and mid-capitalization domestic equity securities. VSEQX selects securities that provide a balance between strong growth and reasonable valuations compared to industry peers. The Vanguard Strategic Equity Investor fund has a three-year annualized return of 11.8%.

VSEQX has an expense ratio of 0.21% as compared to the category average of 1.15%.

Vanguard Growth Index Investor (VIGRX – MF report) employs an indexing investment approach. VIGRX seeks to track the performance of the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index by investing most of its assets in the stocks that make up the index. The Vanguard Growth Index Investor fund has a three-year annualized return of 12.1%.

Gerard C. O’Reilly is the fund manager since 1994.

Vanguard Mid Cap Growth Investor (VMGRX – MF report) seeks long-term capital growth. VMGRX invests a large chunk of its assets in the securities of mid-cap companies. VMGRX primarily emphasizes on acquiring common stocks of companies that have above-average growth potential. The Vanguard Mid Cap Growth Investor fund has a three-year annualized return of 8.9%.