2025 Compare Cities Education:
Des Moines, IA vs Santa Cruz, CA

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Highlights
- Santa Cruz spends 14.5% more per student than Des Moines.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 40.6% higher in Santa Cruz than in Des Moines. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Santa Cruz had 9.9% more residents who had graduated High School compared to Des Moines
 Des Moines, IASanta Cruz, CAUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$16,364$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$11,894  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$7,688$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio15.53  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock62714573
 Students per Counselor362  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock2.3%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.6.4%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock95.7%88.9%
 Some College Educ.20.2%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock8.1%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.28.1%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock18.0%9.3%
 Professional Degree1.8%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock5.5%1.5%
Reviews for Des Moines    53 Reviews

Des Moines is a ok and pretty quiet place but as a teen it could be dramatic because Des Moines do have is fair or violents places to avoid in Des Moines would be the  More

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Dude · 
Over 5 years ago

This city is violent, there are too many gangs especially on the north  More

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Over 6 years ago

Good for the old that like slow pace and cheap buffets. Also good for non-descript mid-westerners that don't like a lot of action. No nightlife or mountains to hike  More

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Reviews for Santa Cruz    44 Reviews

I lived in the Santa Cruz area for 20 years. UCSC alum. Our kids were born there. There are wonderful things about Santa Cruz, but also many serious problems that we  More

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Over 5 years ago

I have been here for four generations! My kids are the fifth. I guess that should tell you how wonderful it is here, at least for us. It's so cool to have world class  More

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I was born over the hill in San Jose area, and as a kid I loved coming over to the boardwalk. Santa Cruz has always been and always will be a town of diversity,  More

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