2025 Compare Cities Education:
Ames, IA vs Lake Forest, IL

Change Cities
Highlights
- Lake Forest spends 43.9% more per student than Ames.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 7.8% lower in Lake Forest than in Ames. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Lake Forest had 2.1% more residents who had graduated High School compared to Ames
 Ames, IALake Forest, ILUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$24,440$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$11,178  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$12,628$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio14.7  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock10054573
 Students per Counselor346  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock0.5%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.2.3%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock99.1%88.9%
 Some College Educ.15.9%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock3.0%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.61.4%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock25.4%9.3%
 Professional Degree2.4%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock4.0%1.5%
Reviews for Ames    12 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

Hello, I am in San Jose Ca, but am seriously thinking of moving somewhere much slower for a better quality of living. I've just turned 59, so I'm kinda preparing for  More

   |    Reply

Over 13 years ago

Like every other city Ames has both good and bad points. The good points are: low cost of living, very friendly people, lots of outdoor activities and quite a few events  More

   |    Reply

Ames enjoys a high quality of life at a very affordable cost, substantially lower than many other communities. The presence of Iowa State University, a large (28,000  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Ames

Reviews for Lake Forest    4 Reviews

We relocated cross county to Lake Forest about a year ago due to a job change. We looked at nearby communities, within proximity of the work commute (the office is in  More

   |    Reply

Be prepared for a so called upscale town with entitled, overpaid, snooty people from teenagers who sneer at you to adults who look you up and down, who make demands on a  More

   |    Reply

Over 15 years ago

Long cold winters, short cold springs, hot humid summers, nice  More

   |    Reply

Start Your Review of Lake Forest


Premium Subscription
Includes Cost of Living compares for child care, utilities, transportation, health, taxes, housing for home owners vs renters, weather, insurance premiums and so much more.


The premier source for comprehensive city data for over 30 years.

© Best Places. All rights reserved.