California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) vs Georgia Teachers Retirement System (TRS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) (C) and Georgia Teachers Retirement System (TRS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 67% and 77% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Georgia Teachers Retirement System (TRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 70/100 (B) compared to California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) at 58/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 10.1 percentage points (77.4% vs 67.3%). Georgia Teachers Retirement System (TRS) covers 405,000 participants.
| Metric | California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) | Georgia Teachers Retirement System (TRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 58/100 (C) | 70/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 67.3% | 77.4%* |
| Total Assets | $473.0B | $74.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $703.0B | $95.6B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $230.0B | $21.6B* |
| Participants | 2,050,000 | 405,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.8% | 6.0%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of California | State of Georgia |
Georgia Teachers Retirement System (TRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 70/100 (B) compared to California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) at 58/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 10.1 percentage points (77.4% vs 67.3%). Georgia Teachers Retirement System (TRS) covers 405,000 participants.