| | Ames, IA | Gulf Shores, AL | United States |
| Expend. per Student | $16,979 | $12,984 | $15,905 |
| Educ. Expend. per Student | $11,178 | $10,640 | $13,142 |
| Instr. Expend. per Student | $7,158 | $6,183 | $7,999 |
| Pupil/Teacher Ratio | 14.7 | 17.73 | 16.23 |
| Students per Librarian | 600 | 601 | 4573 |
| Students per Counselor | 346 | 388 | 530 |
| Grade School Educ. | 0.7% | 1.7% | 4.8% |
| Some High School Educ. | 2.3% | 3.0% | 6.3% |
| High School Educ. | 97.0% | 95.4% | 88.9% |
| Some College Educ. | 15.9% | 22.2% | 20.0% |
| 2 yr College Grad. | 7.7% | 11.5% | 8.7% |
| 4 yr College Grad. | 61.4% | 34.9% | 33.7% |
| Masters Grad. | 17.2% | 9.6% | 9.3% |
| Professional Degree | 2.4% | 1.8% | 2.2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 9.7% | 2.4% | 1.5% |