2025 Compare Cities Education:
Ridgecrest, CA vs Santa Maria, CA

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Highlights
- Santa Maria spends 9.9% more per student than Ridgecrest.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 7.2% lower in Santa Maria than in Ridgecrest. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Santa Maria had 31.2% fewer residents who had graduated High School compared to Ridgecrest
 Ridgecrest, CASanta Maria, CAUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$16,705$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$12,833  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$7,862$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio22.63  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock123874573
 Students per Counselor764  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock27.8%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.6.1%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock62.2%88.9%
 Some College Educ.22.7%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock7.2%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.32.8%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock2.8%9.3%
 Professional Degree0.6%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock0.3%1.5%
Reviews for Ridgecrest    7 Reviews

For context, I grew up in Ridgecrest and moved away after graduating high school. I have since lived in LA and the Bay Area but I visit RC often. RC is in the high  More

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Ridgecrest and Kern County are red state bastions in a land of blue voting counties. If you want a concealed weapons permit, you'll get it. Want to own any firearm  More

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Over 13 years ago

The hardest thing to get used to in Ridgecrest is the weather. It can get quite windy. And hot. 115 hot. But it's a dry heat! It does cool off in the evening, and it  More

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Reviews for Santa Maria    12 Reviews

Over 6 years ago

I live in Orcutt which is a town of around 35,000 on the south side of Santa Maria. Santa Maria has, as everyone has noted, the best climate in the world. It never  More

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I have lived in Santa Maria / Orcutt for several years, but it is time to leave. I have no issues with the weather. Our climate is mild and comfortable with no extremes.  More

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The weather is very mild without a huge temperature change with the seasons. The winters are chilly but not cold and the summers are warm but not hot. Of course there  More

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