Washington State Department of Retirement Systems vs New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYSTRS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (A) and New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYSTRS) (A) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 88% and 97% 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
Washington State Department of Retirement Systems has a stronger Pension Health Score of 82/100 (A) compared to New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYSTRS) at 82/100 (A). Funding ratios differ by 9.3 percentage points (87.8% vs 97.1%). Washington State Department of Retirement Systems covers 528,000 participants.
| Metric | Washington State Department of Retirement Systems | New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYSTRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 82/100 (A) | 82/100 (A) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 87.8% | 97.1%* |
| Total Assets | $108.0B | $131.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $123.0B* | $134.9B |
| Unfunded Liability | $15.0B | $3.9B* |
| Participants | 528,000 | 433,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 6.7% | 6.8%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | low | low |
| Sponsor | State of Washington | State of New York |
Washington State Department of Retirement Systems has a stronger Pension Health Score of 82/100 (A) compared to New York State Teachers Retirement System (NYSTRS) at 82/100 (A). Funding ratios differ by 9.3 percentage points (87.8% vs 97.1%). Washington State Department of Retirement Systems covers 528,000 participants.