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About
Fidelity & ExcellenceThomas Aquinas College is unique among American colleges and universities, offering a faithfully Catholic education comprised entirely of the Great Books and classroom discussions.
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A Liberating Education
Truth MattersTruth, and nothing less, sets men free; and because truth is both natural and supernatural, the College’s curriculum aims at both natural and divine wisdom.
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A Catholic Life
Under the Light of FaithThe intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church infuse the whole life of Thomas Aquinas College, illuminating the curriculum and the community alike.
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Admission & Aid
Is TAC Right for You?Do you enjoy grappling with complex questions? Are you willing to engage in discussions about difficult concepts, with the truth as your ultimate goal?
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Students & Parents
Mind, Body & SpiritThere is always something to do at TAC — something worthwhile, something fulfilling, and something geared toward ever-greater spiritual and intellectual growth.
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Alumni & Careers
What Can You Do with a Liberal Education?Nothing speaks more to the versatility of the College’s academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
Thomas Aquinas College Climbs 15 Spots in 2019 U.S. News Rankings
September 10, 2018
10,000 Ojai Road
Santa Paula CA 93060
Contact: Anne Forsyth, Director of College Relations
(805) 525-4417
Hi-Res photos
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SANTA PAULA, CA—September 10—Thomas Aquinas College has climbed 15 spots in the annual U.S. News and World Report college rankings, from No. 58 to No. 43 among the country’s national liberal arts colleges, and it is one of only two Catholic institutions in the United States to make the top 50.
The newly released 2019 edition of the magazine’s Best Colleges guide also lists Thomas Aquinas College at No. 11 for “lowest student debt load at graduation” and No. 35 out of 109 for “Best Value” among all national liberal arts colleges, the only Catholic college in the top 50.
The college further ranks at the very top of the guide’s lists for the highest proportion of classes under 20 students (100 percent) and the lowest proportion of classes with more than 50 students (0 percent).
In assembling its annual guide, U.S. News evaluates more than 1,800 four-year colleges and universities in the United States. “The rankings,” its editors explain, “are based on factors that indicate academic quality, such as graduation rates and faculty resources.” Further, for its “Best Values” list, the magazine considers “only those schools ranked in the top half of the 2019 Best Colleges ranking categories.” The “Best Values” list is based on numerous academic and financial criteria, primarily the “ratio of quality to price.”
Says Thomas Aquinas College director of admissions, Jon Daly, “Rankings tell part of the story, and we are certainly pleased with these from U.S. News. They point not only to the strength of the academic program—in terms of quality and class size—but also, importantly, to the college’s reasonable tuition, room & board costs, and the strength and generosity of our need-based financial aid program. Both students and parents need to be sure the investment they make in a college education is worthwhile. We are pleased to see that our college compares so favorably in the U.S. News rankings.”
Thomas Aquinas College has received high marks in the newest editions of all the top annual college guides, both Catholic and secular, including The Princeton Review, the Washington Monthly, and the Cardinal Newman Society.
“Taken together with this 2019 report from U.S. News, these reviews offer parents and prospective students a fairly good idea of the strength of our unique program,” says Mr. Daly. “But a visit to the campus will afford them the opportunity to observe our classes firsthand and to experience the joy students take in pursuing their studies in and outside of class.”
Adds Dr. Michael F. McLean, president of the college, “This year’s review from U.S. News, and the many others that rank Thomas Aquinas College highly, are strong indicators that an institution of higher learning can provide an excellent academic program at a competitive price while being fully faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.”
About Thomas Aquinas College
A four-year, co-educational institution, Thomas Aquinas College has developed over the past 46 years a solid reputation for academic excellence in the United States and abroad and is highly ranked by organizations such as The Princeton Review, U. S. News, and Kiplinger. At Thomas Aquinas College all students acquire a broad and fully integrated liberal education. The College offers one, four-year, classical curriculum that spans the major arts and sciences. Instead of reading textbooks, students read the original works of the greatest thinkers in Western civilization — the Great Books — in all the major disciplines: mathematics, natural science, literature, philosophy, and theology. The academic life of the college is conducted under the light of the Catholic faith and flourishes within a close-knit community, supported by a vibrant spiritual life. Graduates consistently excel in the many world-class institutions at which they pursue graduate degrees in fields such as law, medicine, business, theology and education. They have distinguished themselves serving as lawyers, doctors, business owners, priests, military service men and women, educators, journalists and college presidents. For additional information, visit www.thomasaquinas.edu.
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