2026 Compare Cities Education:
Columbia, IL vs Alton, IL

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Highlights
- Alton spends 0.4% less per student than Columbia.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 0.1% lower in Alton than in Columbia. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Alton had 8.6% fewer residents who had graduated High School compared to Columbia
 Columbia, ILAlton, ILUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$13,939$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$12,031  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$7,302$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio15.22  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock58374573
 Students per Counselor429  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock2.9%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.2.5%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock88.7%88.9%
 Some College Educ.20.9%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock10.3%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.50.1%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock5.2%9.3%
 Professional Degree3.9%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock0.8%1.5%
Reviews for Columbia    3 Reviews

Over 17 years ago

I actually live in the next town over, but work full-time in Columbia, and it's a really nice town. It is the walking-est city I have ever seen; people enjoy riding  More

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Over 18 years ago

Columbia,Illinois has to be the most stuck up and unfriendly little one horse town i've ever lived in . People here feel that if you weren't born and raised here  More

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Over 18 years ago

Columbia, Illinois is located at the northern tip of Monroe County in Southwestern Illinois only about 12 miles from downtown St. Louis. 20 miles from Scott Air Force  More

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Reviews for Alton    7 Reviews

My wife, daughter, and I moved here from Phoenix Metro March 2022 and have been very happy with our move. The people have been great, having four seasons is great, and  More

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Over 3 years ago

Not sure why such low reviews. I moved here from St. Louis. Crime in Alton is NOTHING compared to that. Maybe 1 or 2 homicides a year and those are generally people  More

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Over 11 years ago

Unfortunately, Alton has become a run down, poverty stricken area. Jobs are very limited and do not pay well. Unless you plan on commuting to St. Louis for work, you  More

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