2026 Compare Cities Education:
Waco, TX vs Santa Maria, CA

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Highlights
- Santa Maria spends 47.5% more per student than Waco.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 53.8% higher in Santa Maria than in Waco. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Santa Maria had 25.8% fewer residents who had graduated High School compared to Waco
 Waco, TXSanta Maria, CAUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$16,705$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$10,306  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$7,862$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio13.66  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock123874573
 Students per Counselor333  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock27.8%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.9.6%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock62.2%88.9%
 Some College Educ.21.9%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock7.2%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.26.8%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock2.8%9.3%
 Professional Degree1.8%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock0.3%1.5%
Reviews for Waco    20 Reviews

Over 5 years ago

This town is a nightmare for all nearby towns or people passing through. Expect to add an hour to your trip if you're passing through. Traffic. Traffic traffic.  More

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Best city in Texas when you count traffic, housing cost, eateries, Baylor Bear sports, largest urban lake in Texas, Texas Rangers Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of  More

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i was raised in waco tx and recently moved to country to get away from the drama and crime associated w living in waco.But it seems now the city of Waco has purchased  More

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Reviews for Santa Maria    12 Reviews

Over 7 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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