New York Times Ranks TAC High for “Economic Diversity”

The latest education Issue of the New York Times Magazine features an updated version of its College-Access Index, “a list of the country’s most selective universities ranked in order of economic diversity.” Echoing its high ranks in U.S. News & World Report’s comparable category of “social mobility,” Thomas Aquinas College placed well in the upper half of the Times’ list.

This edition of the College-Access Index, explains the Times, measures economic diversity by analyzing the number of students receiving Pell Grants, which are typically awarded to applicants from the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder. Of the College’s 2020-21 cohort, 22 percent received Pell subsidies.

To anyone familiar with Thomas Aquinas College’s mission and history, its rank should come as no surprise. “Although they didn’t think in terms such as ‘economic diversity,’ our founders pledged never to turn students away for reasons of financial need,” says Chris Weinkopf, executive director of college relations. “Our inclusion in the Times’ index is a testament to the generosity of our benefactors and the dedication of our financial aid officers who work hard to honor that pledge.”