2025 Compare Cities Education:
Waco, TX vs West Des Moines, IA

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Highlights
- West Des Moines spends 26.2% more per student than Waco.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 13.7% higher in West Des Moines than in Waco. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- West Des Moines had 15.3% more residents who had graduated High School compared to Waco
 Waco, TXWest Des Moines, IAUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$14,293$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$10,306  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$7,373$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio13.66  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock7994573
 Students per Counselor333  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock1.3%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.9.6%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock96.6%88.9%
 Some College Educ.21.9%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock9.6%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.26.8%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock13.3%9.3%
 Professional Degree1.8%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock1.6%1.5%
Reviews for Waco    20 Reviews

Over 4 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 West Des Moines    4 Reviews

Over 16 years ago

I just moved here from out-of-state a few months ago and have been pleasantly surprised by the broad range of activities and amenities available in this medium sized IA  More

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Over 16 years ago

Am contemplating a move to WDM from the East Coast (NYC). Might there be anyone out there that may have experienced this and could offer guidance or comment. Thanks.   More

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We just moved to West Des Moines and we love it here! We moved here three months ago and every weekend we have been able to do something different and fun. There is  More

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