Liberal arts college
#15 Best small colleges in CaliforniaThomas Aquinas College
Santa Paula, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $26,196 a year
Median debt at graduation: $18,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best small colleges in America#55 of 906
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#138 of 1,829
- Best colleges in America#188 of 1,829
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#107 of 684
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#160 of 693
In California
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.84%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.92%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,329 · ACT 30.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.11 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$17,897
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $43,426 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 539 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 49% · Women 51% |
| Total students | 539 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $26,196 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $43,426 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $18,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 84% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 92% |
| First-year retention | 92% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $55,619 |
| Admission rate | 83% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $2,250 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 27% |
| Average SAT | 1329 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 640–730 |
| SAT math | 580–670 |
| ACT composite | 28–33 |
| Test policy | Required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Liberal arts |
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Liberal arts and general studies |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Rural |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $11,200 |
| Students per faculty member | 11 to 1 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 99%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $56,931IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA)About 43 miles away · about 1 hour 15 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR)About 44 miles away |
| Town population | 31,376Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Los AngelesAbout 48 miles away · about 1 hour 30 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 50°F in January · 72°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Ojai, CA, about 8 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.88 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Thomas Aquinas College’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 11% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Thomas Aquinas College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $26,196 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Thomas Aquinas College?
- Thomas Aquinas College admitted 83% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Thomas Aquinas College’s graduates do?
- 84% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $55,619; the median federal debt at graduation is $18,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 124292
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: American Academy for Liberal Education; WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Roman Catholic
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Thomas Aquinas vs John Paul the Great Catholic · Thomas Aquinas vs University of Dallas · Thomas Aquinas vs Ave Maria · Thomas Aquinas vs Franciscan University of Steubenville
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