Private Nonprofit · Waterville, Maine

Thomas College

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

$44,991
10-yr median earnings
96.3%
Acceptance rate
$18,885
Avg net price / yr
52.6%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Thomas College pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.

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

Top 40%
former-student earnings, US
96.3%
acceptance rate
52.6%
150%-time completion
+11%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Remote Carnegie: Master's (S)
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Thomas 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 ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Small Programs"), 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

D
College Value Score
47/100
Thomas 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 C
$44,991
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price D
$18,885
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
52.6%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$24,250
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
70.9%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention C-
77.5%
First-year students returning for year two
Thomas 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

$44,991

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$18,885

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

52.6%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 52.6%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Thomas College vs peers

Thomas 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 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Thomas College positioned by earnings vs cost Carnegie Classification: Master's (S) Master's (… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $31K $85K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $3K $40K Avg Net Price ($) Thomas College (you are here): $45K earn · $19K net · 53% grad You are here - Thomas College Maine College of Art & Design: $41K earn · $38K net · 50% grad Maine College of Art College of the Atlantic: $40K earn · $25K net · 69% grad College of the Atl… Saint Joseph's College of Maine: $59K earn · $28K net · 67% grad Saint Joseph's Col… Maine College of Health Professions: $80K earn · $26K net Maine College of H… The Landing School: $66K earn · $36K net · 98% grad The Landing School Colby College: $80K earn · $17K net · 89% grad Kennebec Valley Community College: $36K earn · $4K net · 44% 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 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 College: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$44,991 Top 40% higher than 60% 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 College National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $44,991 #2017 of 5103 60th
Average net price $18,885 #2863 of 5020 43rd (lower is better)
150%-time completion 52.6% #2776 of 4858 43rd
Undergraduate enrollment 647 #2607 of 5462 52nd

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

Quick Facts

647
Undergraduate enrollment
96.3%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
52.6%
150%-time completion
$44,991
10-yr median earnings
77.5%
First-year retention

How Thomas College ranks in Maine

State rank among 32 reporting Maine colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Thomas College State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $44,991 #14 of 32 56th
Average net price $18,885 #18 of 31 42nd (lower is better)
150%-time completion 52.6% #15 of 30 50th
Undergraduate enrollment 647 #19 of 32 41st

Highest former-student earnings in Maine

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Maine Maritime Academy$89,964$23,414
2Bowdoin College$82,735$14,398
3Colby College$80,490$17,180
4Maine College of Health Professions$79,840$26,312
5Bates College$69,498$29,351
6The Landing School$65,849$35,532
7Saint Joseph's College of Maine$59,045$27,555
8University of New England$55,921$38,107
9University of Maine at Fort Kent$51,077$7,482
10University of Southern Maine$49,958$13,596
11University of Maine$48,653$17,510
12University of Maine - Machias$48,653-
14Thomas CollegeThis school$44,991$18,885

Admissions

Admission Rate 96.3%
0%100%96.3%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Thomas 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 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 $31,824
Out-of-State Tuition $31,824
Average Net Price $18,885
18.1%
Pell Grant Rate
32.8%
Federal Loan Rate
$24,250
Median Debt
$257/mo
Monthly Payment

Net price at Thomas College swings rather than trends

Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $18,621 to $22,084 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +3.2%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.

Lowest year
$18,621
Highest year
$22,084
Most recent (2023)
$19,223
Average net price, 2013–2023

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

2013: $18,6212014: $20,0452015: $19,9302016: $20,5572017: $21,6472018: $21,4112019: $20,8192020: $21,8442021: $22,0842022: $21,2792023: $19,223
2013 · $18,6212023 · $19,223

Over the same years, enrollment went -18.7% (846 → 688 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

50.2%
Female
37.9%
First Generation

Outcomes

77.5%
Retention Rate
$40,495
Median Earnings (6yr)
60.6%
Earning Over $25K
70.9%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 52.6%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 77.5%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $40,495
Median earnings 10 years after entry $44,991
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 60.6%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 70.9%
Median federal student debt At completion $24,250
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $257/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 8 159 $56,502 $76,089 $24,857
Master's 2 48 $70,269 $79,227 $20,500

Top programs at Thomas College by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

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

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 28 $79,227 $20,500
Computer Science Bachelor's 11 $76,089 -
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 16 $65,028 $20,500
Education, General Master's 20 $61,310 -
Criminal Justice and Corrections Bachelor's 26 $54,649 $27,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 33 $52,490 $21,250
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Bachelor's 10 $51,014 $24,250
Psychology, General Bachelor's 18 $49,253 $27,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's 25 $46,988 $27,000
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology Bachelor's 20 - $27,000

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Thomas College?
Thomas College is a private nonprofit institution in Waterville, Maine. The acceptance rate is 96.3%. Undergraduate enrollment is 647 students.
How much do Thomas College former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Thomas College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $44,991 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $40,495.
How much does Thomas College cost?
The average net price at Thomas College is $18,885. In-state tuition is $31,824 and out-of-state tuition is $31,824. Median student debt at graduation is $24,250.
What is the graduation rate at Thomas College?
Thomas College has a 52.6% 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 77.5%.
Is Thomas College worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Thomas College is $24,250, while former students earn a median of $44,991 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 54% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 70.9% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $257.

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 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.