| | Laurel, MS | Mechanicsville, IA | United States |
| Expend. per Student | $8,969 | $14,183 | $15,905 |
| Educ. Expend. per Student | $8,509 | $11,331 | $13,142 |
| Instr. Expend. per Student | $5,211 | $6,975 | $7,999 |
| Pupil/Teacher Ratio | 14.42 | 13.52 | 16.23 |
| Students per Librarian | 634 | 405 | 4573 |
| Students per Counselor | 504 | 319 | 530 |
| Grade School Educ. | 8.5% | 2.0% | 4.8% |
| Some High School Educ. | 8.9% | 6.8% | 6.3% |
| High School Educ. | 82.6% | 91.2% | 88.9% |
| Some College Educ. | 18.3% | 21.4% | 20.0% |
| 2 yr College Grad. | 8.7% | 14.1% | 8.7% |
| 4 yr College Grad. | 21.6% | 14.9% | 33.7% |
| Masters Grad. | 6.5% | 3.1% | 9.3% |
| Professional Degree | 2.0% | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 0.6% | 0.3% | 1.5% |