Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) vs University of California Retirement Plan
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) (C) and University of California Retirement Plan (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 65% and 84% 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
University of California Retirement Plan has a stronger Pension Health Score of 78/100 (B) compared to Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) at 61/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 18.7 percentage points (83.5% vs 64.8%). University of California Retirement Plan covers 305,000 participants.
| Metric | Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) | University of California Retirement Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 61/100 (C) | 78/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 64.8% | 83.5%* |
| Total Assets | $58.0B | $82.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $89.5B* | $98.2B |
| Unfunded Liability | $31.5B | $16.2B* |
| Participants | 625,000 | 305,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.5% | 7.2%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | low |
| Sponsor | State of Colorado | University of California |
University of California Retirement Plan has a stronger Pension Health Score of 78/100 (B) compared to Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) at 61/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 18.7 percentage points (83.5% vs 64.8%). University of California Retirement Plan covers 305,000 participants.