Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) vs Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) (B) and Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) (C) are close on the PensionRisk rubric. Funding ratios sit at 72% 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
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 68/100 (B) compared to Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) at 57/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 9.2 percentage points (72.3% vs 63.1%). Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) covers 328,000 participants.
| Metric | Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) | Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 68/100 (B)* | 57/100 (C) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 72.3%* | 63.1% |
| Total Assets | $24.8B | $36.2B |
| Total Liabilities | $34.3B* | $57.4B |
| Unfunded Liability | $9.5B* | $21.2B |
| Participants | 328,000 | 245,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.9%* | 5.4% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | high |
| Sponsor | State of Kansas | State of Pennsylvania |
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 68/100 (B) compared to Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) at 57/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 9.2 percentage points (72.3% vs 63.1%). Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) covers 328,000 participants.
Explore More
Related Comparisons
- Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) vs International Brotherhood of Boilermakers National Pension Trust
- Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) vs California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
- Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) vs Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
- Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) vs New York State & Local Retirement System (NYSLRS)
- Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) vs Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS)
- Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) vs Philadelphia Municipal Retirement System
- Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) vs US Steel Corporation Plan for Employee Pension Benefits
- Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) vs Alcoa Corporation Retirement Plan