2025 Compare Cities Education:
Ames, IA vs Surprise, AZ

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Highlights
- Surprise spends 37.8% less per student than Ames.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 24.1% higher in Surprise than in Ames. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Surprise had 3.6% fewer residents who had graduated High School compared to Ames
 Ames, IASurprise, AZUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$10,564$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$11,178  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$4,810$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio14.7  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock23484573
 Students per Counselor346  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock1.7%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.2.3%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock93.5%88.9%
 Some College Educ.15.9%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock10.8%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.61.4%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock8.5%9.3%
 Professional Degree2.4%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock0.8%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

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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

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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

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Reviews for Surprise    52 Reviews

I have lived in Surprise, Az. For the past 21 years. One of the best cities to live in Az. From the police department to maintaining the streets & freeways. One thing I  More

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I am an Arizona native - 55 years - and have lived in Surprise since 2003. I wouldn't live anywhere else! I have watched this place grow and prosper. It is very family  More

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Over 11 years ago

The city of surprise is a beautiful place. It would not be a good place to live however. They have a young eager police force. You are taking a BIG risk driving  More

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