2025 Compare Cities Education:
Altoona, PA vs Columbia, MD

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Highlights
- Columbia spends 4.0% more per student than Altoona.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 1.5% lower in Columbia than in Altoona. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Columbia had 4.4% more residents who had graduated High School compared to Altoona
 Altoona, PAColumbia, MDUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$17,912$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$13,370  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$11,381$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio13.66  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock3634573
 Students per Counselor311  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock2.8%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.6.9%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock95.2%88.9%
 Some College Educ.17.3%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock5.7%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.18.5%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock23.4%9.3%
 Professional Degree0.6%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock5.7%1.5%
Reviews for Altoona    11 Reviews

Sun rises and sets over 2000+ ft. mountains, which does seem to shorten your summer days. It gets hot and humid in the summer, with not a lot of wind or airflow,  More

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Over 5 years ago

Though the climate in Altoona is cold in the Winter, it does often get less snow than Western Pennsylvania because of the Allegheny Front mountain range just to the west  More

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I grew up in Hollidaysburg near Altoona. The city has had its ups and downs throughout the years but all in all I think that central PA has the most beautiful scenery  More

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Reviews for Columbia    28 Reviews

Over 5 years ago

Lived here for a while, beautiful opportunities, pays well, overall nice  More

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Been here 30 years was great at first but once they added a transit bus from baltimore to columbia 15-18 years ago that was the beginning of the end. And about 5 years  More

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Columbia can be described in one word: unequal. The neighborhood I live in, River Hill, is jam-packed with almost million-dollar homes, while the neighborhoods of Long  More

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