State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) vs State Employees Retirement System of Illinois (SERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) (D) and State Employees Retirement System of Illinois (SERS) (D) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 44% and 40% 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
State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 42/100 (D) compared to State Employees Retirement System of Illinois (SERS) at 40/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 3.7 percentage points (44.1% vs 40.4%). State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) covers 218,000 participants.
| Metric | State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) | State Employees Retirement System of Illinois (SERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 42/100 (D)* | 40/100 (D) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 44.1%* | 40.4% |
| Total Assets | $22.5B | $19.8B |
| Total Liabilities | $51.0B | $49.0B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $28.5B* | $29.2B |
| Participants | 218,000 | 152,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.1%* | 4.5% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | critical | critical |
| Sponsor | State of Illinois | State of Illinois |
State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 42/100 (D) compared to State Employees Retirement System of Illinois (SERS) at 40/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 3.7 percentage points (44.1% vs 40.4%). State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) covers 218,000 participants.
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