2025 Compare Cities Education:
Columbia, SC vs Fairbanks, AK

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Highlights
- Fairbanks spends 3.3% more per student than Columbia.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 79.7% higher in Fairbanks than in Columbia. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Fairbanks had 3.9% more residents who had graduated High School compared to Columbia
 Columbia, SCFairbanks, AKUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$17,717$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$14,952  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$9,407$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio15.36  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock9254573
 Students per Counselor336  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock2.7%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.7.3%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock94.0%88.9%
 Some College Educ.18.8%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock10.1%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.44.7%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock6.1%9.3%
 Professional Degree4.5%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock1.2%1.5%
Reviews for Columbia    50 Reviews

Over 2 years ago

I love living in Columbia! I recently graduated from USC and plan to stay. I read the reviews posted here and it shows that like many cities, your experience will depend  More

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Loved living in Columbia, SC prior to my job transfer. It's the perfect size - plenty to do, but still a laid back place. People are extremely friendly, there are  More

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Columbia is such a unique and underrated place. It has a lot of character and history, and good nature trails. Everything feels accessible (by car) and you can get from  More

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Reviews for Fairbanks    20 Reviews

I have lived in the Fairbanks area for about 25 years and have become very comfortable with the community and the lifestyle here. That said, retirement is fast  More

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Over 14 years ago

Comments about Fairbanks, both positive and negative, are of interest to me. Was in Fairbanks this past March [and north on Cleary Summit] and fell in love with the  More

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Over 15 years ago

I came to Alaska 15 years ago on an adventure and first lived in Juneau, which I LOVED and then moved to Eagle River, which I loved and now live in Fairbanks! I do not  More

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