2025 Compare Cities Education:
Arcata, CA vs Ames, IA

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Highlights
- Ames spends 8.1% more per student than Arcata.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 22.1% lower in Ames than in Arcata. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Ames had 3.4% more residents who had graduated High School compared to Arcata
 Arcata, CAAmes, IAUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$16,979$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$13,439  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$7,158$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio18.88  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock6004573
 Students per Counselor659  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock0.7%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.3.9%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock97.0%88.9%
 Some College Educ.22.5%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock7.7%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.46.4%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock17.2%9.3%
 Professional Degree3.8%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock9.7%1.5%
Reviews for Arcata    17 Reviews

Pros: Nature hikes Cons: One of highest crime rates in the nation. Opioid epidemic going on (you’ll regularly witness drug deals and ppl doing drugs) No  More

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It takes a special set of preferences to select Arcata. Is this you? - You love clouds and fog. You are happy if you see the sun maybe 10-20 times a year. - Chilly  More

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Over 11 years ago

I've lived in Humboldt for over 30 yrs and know all the areas well. Arcata is the jewel of Humboldt due to having a university and many liberal creative people. There is  More

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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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