Private Nonprofit · Santa Paula, California

Thomas Aquinas College

Thomas Aquinas College is a private nonprofit institution in Santa Paula, California. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.

$55,619
10-yr median earnings
83.1%
Acceptance rate
$26,196
Avg net price / yr
83.3%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Thomas Aquinas College pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with open admission.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 21%
former-student earnings, US
83.1%
acceptance rate
83.3%
150%-time completion
+37%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Rural: Distant Carnegie: Bacc: A&S
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Thomas Aquinas College profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

C+
College Value Score
62/100
Thomas Aquinas College

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings B+
$55,619
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$26,196
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A
83.3%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$18,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment N/A
N/A
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A
91.6%
First-year students returning for year two
Thomas Aquinas College vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$55,619

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$26,196

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

83.3%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 83.3%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Thomas Aquinas College vs peers

Thomas Aquinas College positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 7 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Thomas Aquinas College positioned by earning… Carnegie Classification: Bacc: A&S Bacc: A&S COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $32K $97K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $8K $31K Avg Net Price ($) Thomas Aquinas College (you are here): $56K earn · $26K net · 83% grad You are here - Thomas Aquinas Col… Hope International University: $50K earn · $29K net · 48% grad Hope International… Soka University of America: $55K earn · $18K net · 89% grad Soka University of… Northeastern University Oakland: $93K earn · $25K net Northeastern Unive… Life Pacific University: $43K earn · $21K net · 48% grad Life Pacific Unive… Touro University Worldwide: $41K earn · $19K net · 36% grad Touro University W… Ventura Adult and Continuing Education: $38K earn · $10K net · 97% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Thomas Aquinas College ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Thomas Aquinas College: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$55,619 Top 21% higher than 79% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric Thomas Aquinas College National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $55,619 #1053 of 5103 79th
Average net price $26,196 #4065 of 5020 19th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 83.3% #545 of 4858 89th
Undergraduate enrollment 566 #2738 of 5462 50th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

566
Undergraduate enrollment
83.1%
Acceptance rate
1,329
SAT average
83.3%
150%-time completion
$55,619
10-yr median earnings
91.6%
First-year retention

How Thomas Aquinas College ranks in California

State rank among 493 reporting California colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Thomas Aquinas College State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $55,619 #134 of 493 73rd
Average net price $26,196 #328 of 495 34th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 83.3% #76 of 483 84th
Undergraduate enrollment 566 #269 of 553 51st

Highest former-student earnings in California

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Samuel Merritt University$143,238-
2Harvey Mudd College$138,687$35,924
3California Institute of Technology$128,566$16,075
4Stanford University$124,080$13,807
5Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health$115,318-
6Gnomon$114,785$51,949
7Santa Clara University$109,183$50,062
8Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University$109,183-
9Touro University California$104,805-
10Claremont McKenna College$104,736$28,849
11West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County$102,672$32,879
12West Coast University-Ontario$102,672$49,590
134Thomas Aquinas CollegeThis school$55,619$26,196

Admissions

Admission Rate 83.1%
SAT Average 1,329
SAT Math (25th-75th) 580 – 670
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 640 – 730
ACT Average 28
ACT (25th-75th) 28 – 33
0%100%83.1%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Thomas Aquinas College

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Thomas Aquinas College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $30,200
Out-of-State Tuition $30,200
Average Net Price $26,196
26.7%
Pell Grant Rate
67.0%
Federal Loan Rate
$18,000
Median Debt
$191/mo
Monthly Payment

2013–2023: what Thomas Aquinas College costs has stayed close to flat

Average net price moved +24.2% over 10 years, from $20,155 to $25,032 in nominal dollars. The median college measured over the same span moved +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $20,1552014: $20,4602015: $22,1992016: $22,8112017: $24,8572018: $24,2142019: $25,5262020: $26,9612021: $26,2282022: $27,2022023: $25,032
2013 · $20,1552023 · $25,032

Over the same years, enrollment went +47.3% (366 → 539 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

48.7%
Female

Outcomes

91.6%
Retention Rate
$40,605
Median Earnings (6yr)
66.7%
Earning Over $25K

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 83.3%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 91.6%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $40,605
Median earnings 10 years after entry $55,619
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 66.7%
Median federal student debt At completion $18,000
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $191/mo

Programs & Earnings

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's 115 $49,898 $18,000

Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Thomas Aquinas College?
Thomas Aquinas College is a private nonprofit institution in Santa Paula, California. The acceptance rate is 83.1%. The average SAT score is 1,329. Undergraduate enrollment is 566 students.
How much do Thomas Aquinas College former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Thomas Aquinas College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $55,619 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $40,605.
How much does Thomas Aquinas College cost?
The average net price at Thomas Aquinas College is $26,196. In-state tuition is $30,200 and out-of-state tuition is $30,200. Median student debt at graduation is $18,000.
What is the graduation rate at Thomas Aquinas College?
Thomas Aquinas College has a 83.3% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 91.6%.
Is Thomas Aquinas College worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Thomas Aquinas College is $18,000, while former students earn a median of $55,619 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 32% of those annual earnings. Estimated monthly loan payment is $191.

Sources & methodology

Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.

Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from Thomas Aquinas College

Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.