| | Ruston, LA | Columbus, IN | United States |
| Expend. per Student | $14,643 | $13,383 | $15,905 |
| Educ. Expend. per Student | $13,293 | $10,919 | $13,142 |
| Instr. Expend. per Student | $7,457 | $6,159 | $7,999 |
| Pupil/Teacher Ratio | 17.05 | 15.82 | 16.23 |
| Students per Librarian | 458 | 575 | 4573 |
| Students per Counselor | 611 | 3165 | 530 |
| Grade School Educ. | 1.3% | 2.2% | 4.8% |
| Some High School Educ. | 8.1% | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| High School Educ. | 90.6% | 92.4% | 88.9% |
| Some College Educ. | 17.6% | 16.7% | 20.0% |
| 2 yr College Grad. | 5.7% | 7.4% | 8.7% |
| 4 yr College Grad. | 45.1% | 42.2% | 33.7% |
| Masters Grad. | 11.5% | 17.4% | 9.3% |
| Professional Degree | 1.2% | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.5% |