Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) vs State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) (C) and State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) (D) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 65% and 44% 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
Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 61/100 (C) compared to State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) at 42/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 20.7 percentage points (64.8% vs 44.1%). Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) covers 625,000 participants.
| Metric | Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) | State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 61/100 (C)* | 42/100 (D) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 64.8%* | 44.1% |
| Total Assets | $58.0B | $22.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $89.5B | $51.0B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $31.5B | $28.5B* |
| Participants | 625,000 | 218,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.5%* | 5.1% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | critical |
| Sponsor | State of Colorado | State of Illinois |
Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 61/100 (C) compared to State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) at 42/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 20.7 percentage points (64.8% vs 44.1%). Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) covers 625,000 participants.