| | Starkville, MS | Columbia, SC | United States |
| Expend. per Student | $13,694 | $17,157 | $15,905 |
| Educ. Expend. per Student | $10,347 | $14,952 | $13,142 |
| Instr. Expend. per Student | $5,918 | $9,360 | $7,999 |
| Pupil/Teacher Ratio | 15.22 | 15.36 | 16.23 |
| Students per Librarian | 470 | 574 | 4573 |
| Students per Counselor | 355 | 336 | 530 |
| Grade School Educ. | 3.7% | 2.2% | 4.8% |
| Some High School Educ. | 4.9% | 7.3% | 6.3% |
| High School Educ. | 91.4% | 90.5% | 88.9% |
| Some College Educ. | 16.0% | 18.8% | 20.0% |
| 2 yr College Grad. | 8.7% | 7.7% | 8.7% |
| 4 yr College Grad. | 47.2% | 44.7% | 33.7% |
| Masters Grad. | 14.4% | 11.7% | 9.3% |
| Professional Degree | 1.9% | 4.5% | 2.2% |
| Doctorate Degree | 8.8% | 3.3% | 1.5% |