Illinois Teachers Retirement System (TRS) vs Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Illinois Teachers Retirement System (TRS) (D) and Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) (C) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 45% and 63% 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
Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 57/100 (C) compared to Illinois Teachers Retirement System (TRS) at 44/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 18.4 percentage points (63.1% vs 44.7%). Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) covers 245,000 participants.
| Metric | Illinois Teachers Retirement System (TRS) | Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 44/100 (D) | 57/100 (C)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 44.7% | 63.1%* |
| Total Assets | $62.8B | $36.2B |
| Total Liabilities | $140.5B | $57.4B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $77.7B | $21.2B* |
| Participants | 424,000 | 245,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 4.8% | 5.4%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | critical | high |
| Sponsor | State of Illinois | State of Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 57/100 (C) compared to Illinois Teachers Retirement System (TRS) at 44/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 18.4 percentage points (63.1% vs 44.7%). Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) covers 245,000 participants.