California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) vs Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) (B) and Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) (C) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 73% and 58% 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
California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 73/100 (B) compared to Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 15.1 percentage points (72.9% vs 57.8%). California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) covers 985,000 participants.
| Metric | California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) | Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 73/100 (B)* | 54/100 (C) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 72.9%* | 57.8% |
| Total Assets | $318.0B | $72.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $436.0B | $124.6B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $118.0B | $52.6B* |
| Participants | 985,000 | 518,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.2%* | 5.1% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | high |
| Sponsor | State of California | State of Pennsylvania |
California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 73/100 (B) compared to Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 15.1 percentage points (72.9% vs 57.8%). California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) covers 985,000 participants.