2025 Compare Cities Education:
San Marcos, CA vs Lake Forest, CA

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Highlights
- Lake Forest spends 6.6% less per student than San Marcos.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 2.5% higher in Lake Forest than in San Marcos. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Lake Forest had 5.9% more residents who had graduated High School compared to San Marcos
 San Marcos, CALake Forest, CAUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$15,277$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$13,161  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$8,037$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio22.65  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock163834573
 Students per Counselor513  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock3.4%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.5.4%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock93.0%88.9%
 Some College Educ.20.5%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock9.3%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.40.9%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock12.4%9.3%
 Professional Degree1.9%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock1.9%1.5%
Reviews for San Marcos    5 Reviews

Just an amazing place to live. I have lived in 7 states and almost countless cities. Sam Marcos is one of the best. This is literally the longest place I have lived  More

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Over 15 years ago

Is this area to expensive for the average income retired  More

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Over 18 years ago

Beautiful Mediterranean climate with bright sunshine and ocean breazes. City is just 15 minutes away from the  More

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Reviews for Lake Forest    16 Reviews

I've lived in Lake Forest for over a decade, before that elsewhere in OC and also up in LA. Lake Forest isn't perfect but it's really improved over the past decade,  More

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As a retired senior who has lived in Lake Forest (formerly El Toro) since 1977 I think LF is a great place if you can afford it. When we moved here in June '77 homes  More

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I’ve lived here for 2 years. Ok, it’s more like a 4 but there are so many idiots downplaying what it’s like here and giving Lake Forest ones and twos. There are a lot of  More

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