| | Harlan, IA | Forest City, IA | United States |
| Expend. per Student | $12,572 | $13,780 | $15,905 |
| Educ. Expend. per Student | $11,317 | $11,489 | $13,142 |
| Instr. Expend. per Student | $7,424 | $7,365 | $7,999 |
| Pupil/Teacher Ratio | 14.61 | 13.31 | 16.23 |
| Students per Librarian | 1895 | 494 | 4573 |
| Students per Counselor | 384 | 368 | 530 |
| Grade School Educ. | 2.6% | 2.5% | 4.8% |
| Some High School Educ. | 5.5% | 4.4% | 6.3% |
| High School Educ. | 91.9% | 93.2% | 88.9% |
| Some College Educ. | 23.3% | 20.6% | 20.0% |
| 2 yr College Grad. | 13.2% | 14.3% | 8.7% |
| 4 yr College Grad. | 22.4% | 27.7% | 33.7% |
| Masters Grad. | 3.9% | 8.1% | 9.3% |
| Professional Degree | 0.9% | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.5% |