Defined Benefit (Pension) · DOL Form 5500 · 2023

Howard University Pension Plan

Data updated 2026-08-25

$669M
Total assets Above avg plan size
907
Participants Near avg headcount
98th
Percentile by assets National rank
$737,347
Avg per participant High balance/head
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Official DOL plan name: Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan · Sponsored by Howard University · District of Columbia · Educational Services

$669M in assets, 907 participants

Howard University's Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan reported $669M in total assets and 907 participants in its 2023 DOL Form 5500 filing, ranking in the 98th percentile by assets among filed plans. Figures are as reported by the plan sponsor to the Department of Labor, not audited or endorsed by PlainRetire.

  • #3,632 in Educational Services (3,735 peers)

Where Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan sits by assets

Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan sits in the top 5% of all filed plans by assets, $669M for 907 participants (~$737,347/participant), up 11.0% in 2023.

#3,632
in Educational Services (3,735 peers)
+11.0%
assets growth YoY
6.7×
vs typical plan assets (national mean)

The plan reported a net loss of $16M for the year, a single-year figure driven by markets and benefit payments, not a measure of plan health.

Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan's outsized position by total assets

Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan vs every filed plan by assets

End-of-year total assets · plan year 2023 · DOL Form 5500

$668,773,759 Top 2% higher than 98% of 127,068 filed plans

This plan $0 $2,050,000,000 every filed plan with reported assets, bucketed by value

Dashed line + filled bar = this entry, among filed plans.

Source U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 filings (EBSA) · plan year 2023

Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan among mid-size filed plans by headcount

Plan-year 2023 Form 5500 filings with a reported participant count, partitioned by headcount band, not by assets. Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan sits mid-pack in the medium band (907 participants).

What changed between DOL Form 5500 filings

plan year 2022 → plan year 2023

  • Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan reported net income rose from -$21M in the plan year 2022 filing to -$16M in the plan year 2023 filing.
  • Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan end-of-year assets rose from $602M in the plan year 2022 filing to $669M in the plan year 2023 filing.
  • Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan reported participants fell from 1,019 in the plan year 2022 filing to 907 in the plan year 2023 filing.

See the national 2022→2023 release diff →

Form 5500 schedule snapshot

Filing strip 530204707 · Howard University PY 2023 · Defined Benefit (Pension)

Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan · $669M · 907 · 98th

  • TYPE $669M
  • NET 907
  • BOOK 98th
  • VS-ST Defined Benefit (Pension)
  • BOY near Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Represented Employees' Retirement Income Plan
  • SCH ind #3632

Stamps derive from this plan's Form 5500 line items (assets, participants, type, EIN, cohort placement) - not a quality rating of the sponsor. Read with Educational Services retirement plans → · Plans in District of Columbia →

Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan in the asset neighbourhood

Joint Pension Fund of Local Union No 102Joint Pension Fund of Local …$672MBlue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Represented Employees' Retirement Income PlanBlue Cross Blue Shield of Mi…$669MHoward University Employees' Retirement PlanHoward University Employees'…$669MShriners Hospitals for Children Employees' Retirement PlanShriners Hospitals for Child…$668MGroup Retirement Income Plan No. 8Group Retirement Income Plan…$668M
End-of-year total assets ($M) among Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan and nearest nationwide Defined Benefit (Pension) peers. Source: DOL Form 5500 plan year 2023.

Scale-class filing particulars (2023)

Total Assets (Beginning of Year)$602M
Net Assets (End of Year)$567M
Net Income-$16M
Employer EIN530204707
Plan Effective Date1976-07-01
Filing StatusFILING RECEIVED

Sponsor Plan History (Howard University)

Sponsor-wide plan assets over time

All Howard University plans reported in each filing year

Latest sponsor-wide plan assets
$1.9B 15.892875371326598% vs 2022
2024 filing year
$1.5B$1.6B$1.7B$1.8B$1.9B 202220232024 $1.61B $1.87B ▲ +16.1%
Year Plans Participants Total Assets
2022 2 6,178 $1.6B
2023 2 7,518 $1.8B
2024 2 7,390 $1.9B

Nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) Plans in District of Columbia

Peer Defined Benefit (Pension) plans, same state, same plan type, ranked by total assets.

Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in District of Columbia, assets vs. participants Scatter plot of 6 data points. -50000050000100000150000 -100102030 Total assets ($B) Participants Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan, Total assets ($B): 0.668773759 · Participants: 907Howard University Employees' Retirement PlanCentral Pension Fund of the Iuoe & Participating Employers, Total assets ($B): 24.899227069 · Participants: 100627Central Pension Fund of the Iuoe & Participating EmployersIam National Pension Fund, Total assets ($B): 14.299885772 · Participants: 92151Iam National Pension FundUnited Mine Workers of America 1974 Pension Plan, Total assets ($B): 3.510841748 · Participants: 52United Mine Workers of America 1974 Pension PlanDanaher Corporation & Subsidiaries Pension Plan, Total assets ($B): 1.889401706 · Participants: 3354Danaher Corporation & Subsidiaries Pension PlanLiuna Staff and Affiliates Pension Fund, Total assets ($B): 1.815316886 · Participants: 3533Liuna Staff and Affiliates Pension Fund
Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan vs. nearby Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in District of Columbia, assets vs. participants

Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan's out-of-state Defined Benefit (Pension) peers by assets and headcount

Outside District of Columbia, the nearest Defined Benefit (Pension) by assets is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Represented Employees' Retirement Income Plan in MI ($669M); by covered participants it is Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula Retirement Plan in CA (907 participants). Same-state nearby plans are listed separately above.

DOL Form 5500 plan year 2023. Asset totals can differ widely at the same headcount; neither axis is a quality rating.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan assets move in 2023?
Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan grew at a solid clip - up 11.0% during 2023, from $602M to $669M. Reported net income was -$16M.
How have Howard University plan assets changed over time?
Across 3 plan years on file (2022-2024), Howard University's sponsor-wide assets grew 15.9%, from $1.6B to $1.9B.
Where does Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan rank by assets among Form 5500 filers?
Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan ranks in the 98th percentile by end-of-year assets among 127,072 plans that reported assets for plan year 2023 (in the top 5% of all filed plans by assets).
Which Defined Benefit (Pension) plans are similar in size to Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan?
Among Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in other states, the closest by assets is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Represented Employees' Retirement Income Plan in MI ($669M, 1,499 participants).
Which Defined Benefit (Pension) plans cover a similar participant headcount to Howard University Employees' Retirement Plan?
Among Defined Benefit (Pension) plans in other states, the closest by covered participants is Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula Retirement Plan in CA (907 participants, $704M in assets).