Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) vs Maryland State Retirement & Pension System
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) (C) and Maryland State Retirement & Pension System (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 58% 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
Maryland State Retirement & Pension System has a stronger Pension Health Score of 67/100 (B) compared to Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 14.3 percentage points (72.1% vs 57.8%). Maryland State Retirement & Pension System covers 398,000 participants.
| Metric | Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) | Maryland State Retirement & Pension System |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 54/100 (C) | 67/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 57.8% | 72.1%* |
| Total Assets | $72.0B | $61.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $124.6B | $84.6B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $52.6B | $23.6B* |
| Participants | 518,000 | 398,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.1% | 5.8%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of Pennsylvania | State of Maryland |
Maryland State Retirement & Pension System has a stronger Pension Health Score of 67/100 (B) compared to Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 14.3 percentage points (72.1% vs 57.8%). Maryland State Retirement & Pension System covers 398,000 participants.