Perdoceo Education Corporation 401(k) Review & Grade
Perdoceo Education Corporation 401(k) Plan
Schaumburg, ILEducational Services3,836 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$850Employer $ per active participant
$3,417Employee $ saved per active participant
0.20%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$263.2MNet plan assets, end of year
$48,625Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity16.7 / 5033th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.8 / 2535th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving7.7 / 1552th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score40 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Educational Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (34 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 33th |
| Lower admin cost | 35th |
| Employee saving | 52th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 65% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $35,241 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Perdoceo Education put in about $850 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,155). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.20% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $3,262,306 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $13,108,929 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $1,167,324 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $499,058 |
| Benefits paid out | $24,125,062 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $242.4M / $263.2M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 3,963 / 3,710 |
| Participants with account balances | 5,412 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Grant Thornton |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Empower Life & Annuity Insurance | $499,058 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251013143426NAL0002205184001, received 2025-10-13, EIN 36-3932190, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.