California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) vs California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Verdict
California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 73/100 (B) compared to California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) at 58/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 5.6 percentage points (72.9% vs 67.3%). California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) covers 985,000 participants.
| Metric | California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) | California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 58/100 (C) | 73/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 67.3% | 72.9%* |
| Total Assets | $473.0B | $318.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $703.0B | $436.0B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $230.0B | $118.0B* |
| Participants | 2,050,000 | 985,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.8% | 6.2%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of California | State of California |
California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 73/100 (B) compared to California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) at 58/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 5.6 percentage points (72.9% vs 67.3%). California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) covers 985,000 participants.