Thomas Aquinas College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Santa Paula, California. It enrolls 566 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
68/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes91
Value25
Affordability30
Selectivity59
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Thomas Aquinas College admits 83.1% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
83.1%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1220 – 1400
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
28 – 33
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyRequiredSAT or ACT scores must be submitted with the application.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Thomas Aquinas College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
0.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $26,196 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$30,200
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,200
Room & Board (off-campus)
$22,086
Books & Supplies
$76
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,444
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,930
Total Cost of Attendance
$43,426
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$19,761
$30,001 – $48,000
$21,236
$48,001 – $75,000
$20,118
$75,001 – $110,000
$23,185
Over $110,000
$29,757
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,25010%percentile
$12,75025%percentile
$18,000Medianpercentile
$18,00075%percentile
$20,25090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $18,000
—
No Pell $18,000
—
Female students $18,000
—
Male students $18,000
—
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,375, less than completers ($18,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
79% of students who start here finish within six years, and 92% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
79%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
92%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $55,619 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$55,619
Earning > $25K
69%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
What this means:
Moderate return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$2.1 of median earnings 10 years out. Compare carefully against your funding plan.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 566 students, a small, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
566
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
—
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 63.8%361
Hispanic 19.6%111
International 6.7%38
Other 5.0%28
Asian 1.8%10
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Thomas Aquinas College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Rural: DistantSanta Paula, California
Housing
Strongly residential667 beds for 566 students
Adult Learners
2%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated
What You Can Study
Thomas Aquinas College offers
a focused set of programs:
1 distinct programs across
1 major.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$125M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$83,715
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
50 instructional faculty across 1 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
No Rank
50
100%
$83,715
Pros & Cons of Thomas Aquinas College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Thomas Aquinas College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for:
Based on the data, Thomas Aquinas College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Thomas Aquinas College
The questions families ask most about Thomas Aquinas College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Thomas Aquinas College hard to get into?
Not especially. Thomas Aquinas College admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 83.1%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Thomas Aquinas College?
83.1% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Thomas Aquinas College?
Aim for 1400 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1220 and 1400 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Thomas Aquinas College?
Aim for 33 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 28 and 33 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Thomas Aquinas College cost?
Budget around $26,196 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Thomas Aquinas College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $55,619 a year against a net price of $26,196, about 2.1 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Thomas Aquinas College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Thomas Aquinas College graduates earn?
About $55,619 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Thomas Aquinas College accredited?
Yes. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Thomas Aquinas College?
566 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Thomas Aquinas College?
79% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Thomas Aquinas College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Thomas Aquinas College located?
Thomas Aquinas College is located in Santa Paula, California.
What programs does Thomas Aquinas College offer?
1 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Thomas Aquinas College?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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