Thomas Aquinas College

Santa Paula, CA · WestQuad's selectivitySelective

Known forHigh graduation rateTest-optional heavy

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

8 in 10 applicants admitted

Thomas Aquinas admits about 8 in 10 applicants (83%). That puts it in the "Selective" tier, more selective than 38% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

83%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivitySelective

Applied

272

Admitted

226

Yield

68%

of admits enroll

SAT middle 50%

1220–1400

10001600

ACT middle 50%

28–33

1836

Applications 185 → 272 since fall 2014 · admit rate 83% → 83%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 566 undergrads, where 27% receive Pell Grants, a low share compared to other colleges.

566

undergrads · larger than 23% of colleges

Diversity index

0.55

Pell Grant

27%

below the median

Rural, distant

More diverse · index 0.47 → 0.55 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies (100% of graduates). 11 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 68% of colleges. 99% of faculty are full-time. Spends $17,897 a year on instruction per student.

11 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 68% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $29,764 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $5.5K more than the national median. The 73% who received grants paid $24,820 on average; the other 27% paid the full sticker price of $43,426.

31%

$29.8K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $5.5K above the national median

Full price: $43,426 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Merit aid: 7.7% · avg $16K; of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)

Aid generosity

Moderate

grants cover 31% of full price

Federal loans

67%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office

Cost steady · −3% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $55,619 ten years after enrolling, more than at 56% of colleges; 86% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 2.1 years of that salary.

86%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$55.6K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$18K

≈ $191/month for 10 years

Retention

92%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 72% → 84% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price fell 8% after inflation, while what the average first-year paid fell 3%, as grants covered less of it.

Cost
Steady
−3% after inflation
Applications
185 → 272
Selectivity
83% → 83%
Diversity
More diverse
index 0.47 → 0.55

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

591 undergrads

Similar sizeAlso private

Compare side-by-side

Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing

446 undergrads

Similar sizeAlso private

Compare side-by-side

Bryan College-Dayton

814 undergrads

Also private

Compare side-by-side

Blue Mountain Christian University

89% admit · 498 undergrads

Similar sizeAlso private

Compare side-by-side

Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
Thomas Aquinas College (2026)
Thomas Aquinas College · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 124292 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything