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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 Ranks First among Catholic Colleges in Kiplinger’s 2018 ‘Best Values’
January 25, 2018
10,000 Ojai Road
Santa Paula CA 93060
Contact: Anne Forsyth, Director of College Relations
(805) 525-4417
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No. 7 in Country among Liberal Arts Colleges
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SANTA PAULA, CA—Jan. 15—In its recently released 300 Best College Values for 2018, Kiplinger Personal Finance ranks Thomas Aquinas College as No. 14 among all American colleges and universities, making it the highest-placed Catholic institution on the list.
Now in its 20th year, the Kiplinger guide highlights educational institutions that combine outstanding academics with affordable cost. By placing in the top 20, Thomas Aquinas College surpasses larger and more-established institutions such as the College of the Holy Cross (No. 25), Boston College (No. 43), and the University of Notre Dame (No. 46).
Kiplinger also lists the College as No. 7 in the nation among liberal arts colleges — the only Catholic school to be named to the Top 10.
“We are humbled by and grateful for Kiplinger’s recognition,” says Admissions Director Jon Daly. “We consider it an affirmation of our founders’ conviction that the best way to achieve academic excellence is not to abandon the Church’s moral and intellectual patrimony, but to embrace it.”
Excellent academics are a prerequisite for making the Kiplinger list, as is affordability. “We start with a universe of nearly 1,200 schools and trim the list using measures of academic quality,” says Mark Solheim, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “We then rank the schools based on cost and financial aid data.” To measure academic quality, the editors evaluate quantifiable information such as admission rates, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, and student-faculty ratios. In determining affordability, they consider sticker price, financial aid, and average debt at graduation.
Distinguishing itself from most other college guides, Kiplinger also includes four-year graduation rates in its affordability criteria. Nationwide, just 39.4 percent of American college students graduate in four years, compared to 75 percent of the students at Thomas Aquinas College. As a result, the total cost of education at a typical public or private college, even if its tuition rate is nominally lower than that of Thomas Aquinas College, is oftentimes higher, because students must pay for 2-4 additional semesters. This delay also comes with the opportunity cost of missed time in the workforce after graduation.
“No single college guide can give the full measure of a school, but taken together, the various guides help to form a more complete picture,” says Mr. Daly. “Our high rankings from the Princeton Review, ACTA, and U.S. News & World Report, for example, speak to the College’s academic reputation. Our inclusion in the Cardinal Newman Society and National Catholic Register guides reflects our fidelity to the Catholic Church. And Kiplinger, like CNBC and WalletHub, speaks to the value of our academic program, made possible by the College’s many generous benefactors.”
Since its founding, Thomas Aquinas College has maintained a policy of never turning away a student on the basis of financial need, a policy made possible by its generous benefactors. It also caps student debt at $18,000 over four years.
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.