2025 Compare Cities Education:
Portland, ME vs Santa Cruz, CA

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Highlights
- Santa Cruz spends 8.0% less per student than Portland.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 90.9% higher in Santa Cruz than in Portland. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Santa Cruz had 1.6% more residents who had graduated High School compared to Portland
 Portland, MESanta Cruz, CAUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$16,364$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$16,112  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$7,688$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio11.44  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock62714573
 Students per Counselor265  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock2.3%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.2.7%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock95.7%88.9%
 Some College Educ.16.6%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock8.1%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.56.5%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock18.0%9.3%
 Professional Degree4.1%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock5.5%1.5%
Reviews for Portland    35 Reviews

Used to be great before the pandemic. Now people from out of state have ruined it by paying New York prices for real estate site unseen. Why would you live in Maine when  More

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Over 4 years ago

I have never lived here but the lack of Jimmy John’s is depressing and makes me wish I was deceased.  More

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Reggie · 
Over 7 years ago

I found out I was allergic to corn on the cob here. I would give Portland twelve thumbs downs if I could. My friend told me there was a subway here and I thought he  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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