Industry sector · Form 5500 business code 61xxxx
Educational services: retirement plans
Plans whose sponsor entered a business code in this sector on Form 5500.
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. The business code is chosen by the filer from the list in the Form 5500 instructions.
For plan year 2024, 2,887 retirement plans in educational services with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500: 2,812 defined contribution and 75 defined benefit. They reported 4,204,165 participant records and $448.5B in net assets, counting every plan on the form.
The median defined contribution plan held $72,833 per participant, well above the national median of $53,031, and its employer put in $2,837 per active participant (national: $2,174). Among plans reporting Schedule C compensation the median was $95.64 per participant against $123 nationally.
Employers contributed $8.72B and participants $9.97B during the year, and the plans paid out $29.8B in benefits.
In 2009 the same group numbered 2,833 plans with $147.3B; by 2024 it was 2,887 plans (up 2%) and $448.5B (up 205%). From plan year 2023 the 100-participant line counts participants with account balances, which moved many plans to the short form.
Medians compared with all US plans
| Median plan, plan year 2024 | Industry: DC | US: DC | Industry: DB | US: DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $72,833 | $53,031 | $88,336 | $86,234 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $2,837 | $2,174 | $9,921 | $10,244 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $95.64 | $123 | $341 | $344 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.13% | 0.26% | 0.37% | 0.42% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $89.26 | $116 | $465 | $527 |
Medians across plans with 100 or more participants (2,770 DC and 75 DB plans with a Schedule H here). Fee medians cover plans reporting an amount. DC: defined contribution, such as 401(k) and 403(b). DB: defined benefit pension.
Distribution of DC plans
| Measure | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $34,639 | $72,833 | $117,500 | 2,770 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $1,402 | $2,837 | $4,856 | 2,591 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $41.80 | $95.64 | $165 | 2,516 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $35.29 | $89.26 | $163 | 2,655 |
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Plans 100+ | Participants | Net assets | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Median DC assets / participant | Median DC Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025partial | 372 | 325,900 | $45.0B | $753M | $1.07B | $95,034 | $112 |
| 2024 | 2,887 | 4,204,165 | $448.5B | $8.72B | $9.97B | $72,833 | $95.64 |
| 2023 | 2,944 | 4,063,254 | $405.2B | $8.08B | $9.14B | $66,614 | $81.24 |
| 2022 | 3,207 | 3,963,630 | $357.6B | $7.65B | $8.34B | $54,881 | $72.57 |
| 2021 | 3,166 | 3,796,514 | $404.2B | $6.54B | $7.84B | $63,238 | $73.92 |
| 2020 | 3,173 | 3,627,730 | $370.6B | $6.24B | $7.33B | $61,268 | $62.48 |
| 2019 | 3,095 | 3,588,939 | $323.9B | $6.98B | $6.87B | $55,194 | $53.82 |
| 2018 | 3,027 | 3,573,051 | $282.8B | $6.67B | $6.56B | $50,581 | $43.64 |
| 2017 | 3,002 | 3,495,930 | $292.1B | $6.28B | $6.19B | $53,123 | $37.66 |
| 2016 | 2,959 | 3,425,535 | $256.7B | $6.10B | $5.78B | $48,581 | $29.46 |
| 2015 | 2,930 | 3,365,217 | $238.5B | $6.00B | $5.49B | $46,554 | $25.59 |
| 2014 | 2,900 | 3,312,742 | $233.8B | $5.56B | $5.17B | $47,078 | $24.15 |
| 2013 | 2,844 | 3,211,560 | $222.6B | $5.33B | $4.87B | $45,392 | $19.07 |
| 2012 | 2,833 | 3,154,244 | $190.1B | $5.27B | $4.62B | $39,669 | $15.30 |
| 2011 | 2,826 | 3,107,537 | $170.1B | $5.04B | $4.37B | $35,800 | $13.75 |
| 2010 | 2,809 | 2,988,546 | $168.6B | $4.84B | $4.18B | $35,494 | $14.20 |
| 2009 | 2,833 | 2,955,516 | $147.3B | $4.50B | $3.96B | $31,559 | $17.60 |
Plan year is the year in which the plan year began. The drop in large plans from 2023 follows a rule change: the 100-participant line now counts participants with account balances, so many plans moved to the short form.
Provider share
Service provider organisations named most often on the Schedule C of the 2,876 plans on this page's list, by number of plans. A plan usually names several providers.
Largest plans
The 50 largest by participants of 2,876 plans with a page on this site.
| Plan | Sponsor | State | Type | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer / active | Sch. C / participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source 4 Solutions LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan & Trust | Source 4 Solutions LLC | TN | DC | 111,833 | $10.2M | $91 | $4 | $0.30 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Retirement Plan | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | TN | DC | 82,148 | $4.71B | $57,390 | $3,023 | $32.77 |
| The Duke University Faculty and Staff Retirement Plan | Duke University | NC | DC | 71,641 | $11.0B | $154,167 | $6,025 | $40.12 |
| Edustaff, LLC 401(k) Plan | Edustaff, LLC | MI | DC | 56,927 | $9.9M | $174 | — | $1.56 |
| University of Rochester Retirement Program | University of Rochester | NY | DC | 47,731 | $8.00B | $167,656 | $5,583 | $30.43 |
| University of Southern California Tax-Deferred Annuity Plan | University of Southern California | CA | DC | 46,627 | $4.82B | $103,337 | — | $12.32 |
| University of Southern California Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | University of Southern California | CA | DC | 44,381 | $5.01B | $112,948 | $11,268 | $12.90 |
| Stanford Contributory Retirement Plan | The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | CA | DC | 43,741 | $12.6B | $287,331 | $11,002 | $35.63 |
| Johns Hopkins University 403(b) Plan | Johns Hopkins University Office of Benefits Services | MD | DC | 40,900 | $8.79B | $215,031 | $7,658 | $23.43 |
| Emory University Retirement Plan | Emory University Division of Human Resources | GA | DC | 40,652 | $5.54B | $136,274 | $5,810 | $6.29 |
| Columbia University Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan | Trustees of Columbia University | NY | DC | 40,437 | $4.71B | $116,458 | — | $29.63 |
| Employees' Retirement Plan of Duke University | Duke University | NC | DB | 40,202 | $2.78B | $69,271 | $1,339 | $133 |
| Washington University Retirement Savings Plan | Washington University in St. Louis | MO | DC | 40,001 | $7.48B | $187,062 | $5,859 | $34.10 |
| Harvard University Tax Deferred Annuity Plan | President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi | MA | DC | 38,534 | $4.30B | $111,573 | $102 | $13.76 |
| University of Pennsylvania Basic Plan | Trustees of the University of PA | PA | DC | 38,449 | $2.00B | $51,904 | $5,153 | $13.38 |
| The University of Pennsylvania Matching Plan | Trustees of the University of PA | PA | DC | 35,700 | $6.99B | $195,708 | $4,657 | $13.86 |
| Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan of the University of Pennsylvania | Trustees of the University of PA | PA | DC | 34,247 | $2.26B | $66,015 | — | $5.77 |
| Retirement Plan for Officers of Columbia University | Trustees of Columbia University | NY | DC | 34,090 | $5.64B | $165,543 | $14,200 | $27.68 |
| Jefferson Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | Thomas Jefferson University | PA | DC | 31,847 | $2.79B | $87,684 | $3,637 | $35.97 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Basic Retirement Plan | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | DB | 30,211 | $5.74B | $190,155 | — | $138 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Supplemental 401(k) Plan | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | DC | 27,513 | $8.87B | $322,353 | $6,066 | $6.98 |
| Cornell University Retirement Plan for the Employees of the Endowed Colleges at Ithaca | Cornell University | NY | DC | 27,192 | $3.02B | $111,091 | $5,463 | $15.15 |
| Yale University Retirement Account Plan | Yale University | CT | DC | 25,753 | $8.34B | $323,969 | $13,356 | $85.95 |
| Harvard University Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | President & Fellows of Harvard College Harvard Human Resources, Benefi | MA | DC | 25,749 | $2.03B | $78,986 | $8,327 | $17.35 |
| Northwestern University Retirement Plan | Northwestern University | IL | DC | 25,018 | $4.44B | $177,669 | $10,426 | $19.61 |
| Yale University Tax-Deferred 403(b) Savings Plan | Yale University | CT | DC | 24,635 | $874M | $35,476 | — | $12.14 |
| New York University Retirement Plan for Members of the Faculty, Professional Research Staff and Administration | New York University | NY | DC | 23,634 | $5.44B | $230,298 | $10,019 | $30.70 |
| Boston University Supplemental Retirement and Savings Plan | Trustees of Boston University | MA | DC | 23,049 | $1.74B | $75,317 | $8 | $14.32 |
| Caltech Base Retirement Plan | California Institute of Technology | CA | DC | 22,143 | $5.25B | $236,945 | $14,626 | $21.98 |
| Research Foundation of the City University of New York Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | Research Foundation of the City University of New York | NY | DC | 21,778 | $929M | $42,668 | $1,157 | $14.19 |
| Vanderbilt University Retirement Plan | Vanderbilt University | TN | DC | 21,641 | $2.51B | $115,814 | $3,975 | $30.55 |
| Baylor College of Medicine Section 403(b) | Baylor College of Medicine | TX | DC | 21,532 | $2.18B | $101,149 | — | $53.38 |
| Learning Care Group Retirement Savings Plan | La Petite Academy, Inc. | MI | DC | 20,538 | $101M | $4,926 | $119 | $19.20 |
| Nyu Grossman School of Medicine Management and Staff 403(b) Retirement Plan | New York University | NY | DC | 20,091 | $1000M | $49,753 | $2,981 | $12.48 |
| University of Miami Retirement Savings Plan | University of Miami | FL | DC | 19,738 | $2.07B | $104,932 | $8,404 | $67.32 |
| Northwestern University Voluntary Savings Plan | Northwestern University | IL | DC | 19,704 | $1.22B | $61,788 | — | $7.43 |
| Carnegie Mellon University Faculty and Staff Retirement Plan | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | DC | 19,247 | $2.82B | $146,399 | $3,864 | $25.59 |
| Georgetown University Voluntary Contribution Retirement Plan | Georgetown University | DC | DC | 18,822 | $979M | $52,021 | — | $3.29 |
| The University of Chicago Retirement Income Plan | The University of Chicago | IL | DB | 18,531 | $1.28B | $69,334 | $4,470 | $23.27 |
| Cornell University Tax-Deferred Annuity Plan | Cornell University | NY | DC | 18,312 | $2.43B | $132,834 | — | $16.71 |
| Drexel University Defined Contribution Retirement Plan | Drexel University | PA | DC | 17,851 | $1.85B | $103,453 | $3,070 | $79.35 |
| Princeton University Retirement Plan | Princeton University | NJ | DC | 17,713 | $2.40B | $135,653 | $10,430 | $15.07 |
| Southern New Hampshire University 401(k) | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | DC | 16,902 | $285M | $16,863 | $1,797 | $18.00 |
| New York University Supplemental Tax Deferred Annuity Plan | New York University | NY | DC | 16,836 | $1.27B | $75,167 | — | $10.84 |
| Boston University Retirement Plan | Trustees of Boston University | MA | DC | 16,732 | $2.98B | $177,871 | $11,610 | $33.28 |
| Weill Cornell Medical College Tax Deferred Annuity Plan | Cornell University | NY | DC | 16,435 | $1.61B | $98,204 | — | $18.20 |
| Baylor College of Medicine Retirement Plan | Baylor College of Medicine | TX | DC | 15,776 | $1.95B | $123,791 | $8,700 | $62.97 |
| The George Washington University Supplemental Retirement Plan | The George Washington University | VA | DC | 15,310 | $1.65B | $107,718 | — | $3.61 |
| Princeton University Retirement Savings Plan | Princeton University | NJ | DC | 15,198 | $1.74B | $114,182 | — | $5.00 |
| University of Notre Dame 403(b) Retirement Plan | University of Notre Dame Du Lac | IN | DC | 14,950 | $2.94B | $196,576 | $5,448 | $34.15 |
By plan size
By state
Business codes in this sector
| Code | Principal business activity | Plans 100+ | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 611000 | Educational Services (including schools, colleges, & universities) | 2,887 | 4,204,164 | $448.5B |
Codes with 20 or more plans of 100+ participants in plan year 2024. Labels are from the official Form 5500 instructions.
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans are there in educational services?
2,887 plans with 100 or more participants filed Form 5500 for plan year 2024, out of 3,745 pension plans on the full form. Smaller plans file Form 5500-SF and are counted separately where shown.
What is the typical 401(k) balance in educational services?
The median defined contribution plan reported $72,833 in net assets per participant (middle half of plans: $34,639 to $117,500); nationally it was $53,031. This is a plan-level average that includes former employees, not a typical person's balance.
What do employers contribute in educational services?
The median defined contribution plan received $2,837 in employer contributions per active participant, against $2,174 nationally. Plans with no employer contribution are included at zero.
What are average 401(k) fees in educational services?
Among defined contribution plans that report any Schedule C compensation, the median was $95.64 per participant and 0.13% of net assets (nationally $123 and 0.26%). Schedule C leaves out fund expense ratios and fees the employer pays, so it understates total cost.
Where does this come from?
Form 5500 annual reports in the EBSA research files, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Medians are computed by this site across plans with 100 or more participants.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. Totals count every pension plan on the full form; medians and the plan list cover plans with 100 or more participants. See the methodology.