February 26, 2011
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A website dedicated to college life, CampusGrotto.com, has ranked Thomas Aquinas College among the “Top 20” colleges and universities in the nation for the quality of its residence halls, “based on students’ rating of dorm comfort.” The ranking comes after the Princeton Review listed the College as having “dorms like palaces” in its 2009 guide.

The honor garners a chuckle from the College’s vice president for finance and administration, Peter L. DeLuca. “We certainly never set out to build ‘palatial’ residence halls, but we have always had student comfort in mind, as well as beauty, which predisposes us to what is true and good,” he says.

Perhaps more notable than aesthetic accolades, however, is that of the 20 colleges and universities to make the “Top Dorms” list, Thomas Aquinas College has the lowest tuition rate, the lowest room-and-board fees, and the lowest total costs for students and their families. “We are committed to keeping the campus beautiful,” explains Director of Admissions Jon Daly, “but we are also committed to keeping our education affordable,” noting that numerous college guides have also praised the College for its generous financial-aid program.

 

Cost of Tuition Plus Room & Board at “Top 20 Best Dorm” Colleges:

College “Best Dorm” Rank Tuition Room & Board Total Cost
Thomas Aquinas College 16 22,850 7,550 30,400
Trinity University 12 30,877 9,190 40,067
Loyola University Maryland 2 39,350 10,650 50,000
Pepperdine University 18 39,080 11,390 50,470
Stanford University 20 38,700 11,876 50,576
Harvard College 9 38,416 12,308 50,724
Pomona College 14 38,394 12,936 51,330
Bryn Mawr College 6 39,360 12,420 51,780
Smith College 1 38,898 13,000 51,898
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering 3 38,425 13,500 51,925
Wellesley College 17 39,666 12,284 51,950
Mount Holyoke College 13 40,256 11,780 52,036
Skidmore College 15 41,184 10,986 52,170
Williams College 19 41,434 10,906 52,340
Bowdoin College 7 41,565 11,315 52,880
Bennington College 5 41,350 11,550 52,900
Scripps College 4 40,450 12,450 52,900
George Washington University 8 42,905 10,120 53,025
Claremont McKenna College 11 40,230 13,000 53,230
Washington University in St. Louis 10 40,374 12,941 53,315