| | Starkville, MS | Ruston, LA | United States |
| Expend. per Student | $13,694 | $14,643 | $15,905 |
| Educ. Expend. per Student | $10,347 | $13,293 | $13,142 |
| Instr. Expend. per Student | $5,918 | $7,457 | $7,999 |
| Pupil/Teacher Ratio | 15.22 | 17.05 | 16.23 |
| Students per Librarian | 470 | 458 | 4573 |
| Students per Counselor | 355 | 611 | 530 |
| Grade School Educ. | 3.7% | 1.3% | 4.8% |
| Some High School Educ. | 4.9% | 8.1% | 6.3% |
| High School Educ. | 91.4% | 90.6% | 88.9% |
| Some College Educ. | 16.0% | 17.6% | 20.0% |
| 2 yr College Grad. | 8.7% | 5.7% | 8.7% |
| 4 yr College Grad. | 47.2% | 45.1% | 33.7% |
| Masters Grad. | 14.4% | 11.5% | 9.3% |
| Professional Degree | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 8.8% | 2.6% | 1.5% |