2025 Compare Cities Education:
Washington, DC vs Des Moines, IA

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Highlights
- Des Moines spends 52.8% less per student than Washington.
- The Student Teacher Ratio is 33.3% higher in Des Moines than in Washington. (lower means fewer students in each classroom).
- Des Moines had 5.6% fewer residents who had graduated High School compared to Washington
 Washington, DCDes Moines, IAUnited States
 Expend. per Student  Unlock$14,293$15,905
 Educ. Expend. per Student$23,069  Unlock$13,142
 Instr. Expend. per Student  Unlock$7,373$7,999
 Pupil/Teacher Ratio11.65  Unlock16.23
 Students per Librarian  Unlock7994573
 Students per Counselor445  Unlock530
 Grade School Educ.  Unlock6.5%4.8%
 Some High School Educ.4.5%  Unlock6.3%
 High School Educ.  Unlock87.1%88.9%
 Some College Educ.12.4%  Unlock20.0%
 2 yr College Grad.  Unlock9.2%8.7%
 4 yr College Grad.61.4%  Unlock33.7%
 Masters Grad.  Unlock6.2%9.3%
 Professional Degree9.7%  Unlock2.2%
 Doctorate Degree  Unlock0.8%1.5%
Reviews for Washington    97 Reviews

Over 4 years ago

Living in DC long term brings on a kind of insidious misery. A long, slow, simmering down of any natural optimism or desire for a better future. It’s a leach of a town  More

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Over 5 years ago

Parts are beautiful but alot is rundown and ghetto. They always show the monuments and upper nw neighborhoods but never show hoods across the Anacostia River. Crime is  More

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Moved to DC 40 years ago from Mpls-St. Paul. DC is an amazing town. Downside is people are very competitive, everything is expensive. Great restaurants, foodie heaven  More

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Reviews for Des Moines    53 Reviews

Des Moines is a ok and pretty quiet place but as a teen it could be dramatic because Des Moines do have is fair or violents places to avoid in Des Moines would be the  More

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Dude · 
Over 5 years ago

This city is violent, there are too many gangs especially on the north  More

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Over 6 years ago

Good for the old that like slow pace and cheap buffets. Also good for non-descript mid-westerners that don't like a lot of action. No nightlife or mountains to hike  More

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