New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) vs State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) (C) and State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) (D) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 52% 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
New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 54/100 (C) compared to State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) at 42/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 8.2 percentage points (52.3% vs 44.1%). New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) covers 425,000 participants.
| Metric | New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) | State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 54/100 (C)* | 42/100 (D) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 52.3%* | 44.1% |
| Total Assets | $34.0B | $22.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $65.0B | $51.0B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $31.0B | $28.5B* |
| Participants | 425,000 | 218,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | critical |
| Sponsor | State of New Jersey | State of Illinois |
New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 54/100 (C) compared to State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) at 42/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 8.2 percentage points (52.3% vs 44.1%). New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) covers 425,000 participants.