Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) vs Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) (C) and Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 60% and 72% 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 Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) at 56/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 11.9 percentage points (72.3% vs 60.4%). Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) covers 328,000 participants.
| Metric | Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) | Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 56/100 (C) | 68/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 60.4% | 72.3%* |
| Total Assets | $54.0B | $24.8B |
| Total Liabilities | $89.4B | $34.3B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $35.4B | $9.5B* |
| Participants | 465,000 | 328,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.3% | 5.9%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of Michigan | State of Kansas |
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 68/100 (B) compared to Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS) at 56/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 11.9 percentage points (72.3% vs 60.4%). Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) covers 328,000 participants.