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Published: January 13, 2009
“Quality and affordability”
Thomas Aquinas College rated ‘best value’ for academics, expense of attending
News release from Thomas Aquinas College
Jan. 12, 2009
For immediate release
SANTA PAULA --Thomas Aquinas College has once again been ranked one of the 50 “Best Value” private colleges in the country by The Princeton Review as reported Jan. 8 by USA Today.
 Noting that “now, more than ever, students and parents need to make every education dollar count,” the USA Today report explains that The Princeton Review’s selection criteria looked not only at costs and financial aid, but at academics as well.
Says Ben Zelevansky, director of data analysis for The Princeton Review, “This is not a list of America’s Best Financial Aid Packages. This is a list of schools that provide the best balance of a strong education and a reasonable cost of attendance… The schools on our list really go above and beyond.”
Thomas Aquinas College is one of only five “Best Value” private colleges and universities located in California, along with CalTech, Harvey Mudd, Pomona, and Stanford. Moreover, Thomas Aquinas College is the only private Catholic college in the country to have been ranked a “Best Value” by The Princeton Review.
Also released on Jan. 8 were Kiplinger’s annual 50 “Best Value” rankings for private universities and private liberal arts colleges. Dedicated to delivering sound, unbiased advice for families and businesses on saving, investing, planning for retirement, and paying for college, Kiplinger’s has ranked Thomas Aquinas College number 33 of 50 “Best Value” private liberal arts colleges in the country. In this report, only one other Catholic institution in the United States ranked in the top 50 category -- College of the Holy Cross.
Accounting for their methodology, Kiplinger’s states, “Our rankings measure academic quality and affordability, with quality accounting for two-thirds of the total… These institutions… provide a top-quality education at an affordable price -- usually with generous financial aid.”
Says Thomas Aquinas president Thomas E. Dillon, “In this time of financial turmoil, it remains good news to prospective students and their parents that Thomas Aquinas College is maintaining its reputation for academic excellence at a competitive price.”
Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 12:09 AM By Charles O'Connell
If you think you can't afford to send your childre to TAC, just pray. If God wants you to do it, He will find a way.
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 8:02 AM By John Zakharia
I wish MTV and Current TV and other Young Adult websites would make mention of this great college
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 11:33 AM By Pax Christi
I have had Thomas Aquinas College on my radar for my two young sons for the past couple of years. A bonus is that it's just an hour and a half's drive from my hometown of Bakersfield. Doesn't seem like any fuzzy New Age stuff are being taught at what could be considered a satellite campus of EWTN. Bet it gets big two thumbs up from the likes of Fr. John Corapi.
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 12:53 PM By Elizabeth
I have met some of the school's fine young people at the WALK FOR LIFE WEST COAST over the last couple of years and they are MOST IMPRESSIVE!!!!!!!!!!
The young men were not only beautiful on the outside, but more importantly they were beautiful on the inside!!!!!!
The young men I came across would be a mother's dream for her daughter to marry.
They had more wisdom and had their heads on straight than many older people I have come across in my lifetime.
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 1:21 PM By Almond Milk
It is so expensive to place our kids in private schools yet along saving for their college schools too. Thank God that this school is affordable. Are they a good Catholic College? I would like to know for future planning for my little ones.
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 2:27 PM By Eileen
My relatives and friends have graduated fromTAC. They received a wonderful Catholic education. They enjoyed the unique learning atmosphere. Many students who choose TAC have come from very good Catholic families. TAC prepares students to not only think logically but to logically defend the faith. TAC has also produced many vocations. I have been told by graduates of TAC who have gone on to Law School how invaluable TAC's preparation was in helping them excel.
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 3:00 PM By Major Dad
It's $30,000 a year for a liberal education at Thomas Aquinas. Mass is optional.
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 3:36 PM By Almond Milk
Thanks Eileen for letting me know. Major Dad wow, to me that is still expensive, I wonder what other schools go for. What do you mean with Mass is optional? Don't they have daily Mass? I consider that very important.
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 6:00 PM By JLS
The problem as I've seen it for decades is that the road to revival of a Catholic society is through the throngs of people who cannot afford private education. The wealthy simply do not have the numbers required to sway elections. Not only are they not making headway, but they are losing ground. So, what it boils down to is a good education for a few, but it's not necessary for faith development, since that is something that can be done without college. So, what is left that it's good for? Living among the wealthy.
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 7:15 PM By Thuvia Parth
In response to JLS: A Catholic liberal arts education is WELL WORTH $30,000 for those who can manage that pricey price. The fact that such an education is not strictly necessary for "faith development" (by the way, a modernist phrase!) does not mean, JLS, what you say it means, namely, that what a Catholic education on the high order of what TAC provides, "boils down to is a good education for a few"--really, JLS, as if the truly educated were not always a cognitiive minority. Instead of applauding this "good education" as a great good, you simply dismiss it with it a resentment-ridden gesture ("So, what is left [of this education] that it's good for? Living among the wealthy."). JLS, there is no place in the Catholic philosophy of education for such "economistic" reductionism as this. Hardworking Catholic families--not infrequently, large families--have struggled mightily to sustain their childrens' education at Thomas Aquinas College. What biases you against solid collegiate education in general, not least Catholic college education at the high level set by Thomas Aquinas College, is (judging by your former posts) your persistent uncoupling of faith and knowledge, as if the Catholic synthesis of faith and knowledge were irrelevant to the spiritual formation of persons. This uncoupling is not unrelated to your habit of "boiling" things down to what they are not. You appear to think that the strategy of "boiling" things down, is the privileged road to realism. One of the merits of the Great Books program at the center of education at Thomas Aquinas College, however, is that this program helps cure us of this habit of "boiling" things down to what they are not. I can't afford TAC's tuition either, JLS, but I can certainly take the time to revisit some of the great books that anchor the TAC program--books from Plato's _Republic_ to St. Thomas's _Summa_ to the great works of the modern political economists. No one said real learning is easy (Mortimer Adler).
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Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009 11:52 PM By Major Dad
Almond Milk, yes, they have daily Mass -- three times day in the chapel and there are no classes at those times so all who wish to attend may do so. By "Mass is optional" I mean that school policy dictates that religious exercises are not required of students, and that the school is open to all students, including non-Christians.
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Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009 6:56 AM By JLS
Thuvia Parth, you're talking about learning, which is no doubt first rate at Thomas Aquinas College. My post did not attack TAC. My post seeks to separate the concepts of learning and salvation: The emphasis of Catholicism is the Great Commission, so why is it that with all the fine Catholic learning centers, still the world, the flesh and the devil are advancing? I'm suggesting that something is missing; how can you not agree? The great battles is not being turned by Catholic colleges and universities today. How can you fail to see this?
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Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009 6:59 AM By JLS
But Thuvia, I'm not attacking you either. I just read further in your post, and what I see is that part of your response to me is brought on by the less than clear manner of my post. So, perhaps my sandwiched post will explain my point. Simply put: Abortion increases, as Catholic education gets better: what is the problem?
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Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009 10:30 PM By Gregorian
JLS, Catholic education is NOT getting better. For the most part, the big Catholic colleges in the US are rotten and NOT teaching the true faith. My alma mater, Thomas Aquinas, is a an exception. It's founding was a reaction to major Catholic colleges rejecting the teaching authority of the church. The founders, against the trend of the time, made a reaffirmation of the church's teaching authority to jumping off point for the College. Then they added a very rigorous Great Books education, and and a truly Catholic atmosphere in a beautiful setting. My four years there were truly wonderful. I met my wife there. By midway through freshman year, I found myself going to mass and rosary just about daily. So many people I knew and liked were going to Mass, so I did too. And I soon acquired the habit. The education, though not vocational, has served me extremely well in my career and family raising since. I'd recommend it to anybody.
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Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009 10:34 PM By Gregorian
Yes, 30K/year is a lot of money. But TAC, from the beginning, has had a policy to never turn away anybody on the basis of the ability to pay. They work very hard to get loans and grants for students. They give work-study jobs. My parents had absolutely no money to offer toward tuition, and 14 of their kids went to Thomas Aquinas. Don't let the price tag scare you.
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Posted Wednesday, January 14, 2009 10:38 PM By Gregorian
One more thing, the liturgy at the college has long been one of the most beautiful Novus Ordo Masses you'll ever see. The priest there are orthodox and faithful. The liturgy is in Latin. The music is gregorian chant and sacred polyphony. (No guitar Massed... EVER!). And by the opening of the 2009-2010 school year, the glorious new chapel will be open. Visit Thomas Aquinas.
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Posted Thursday, January 15, 2009 10:45 AM By Talitha Kumi
To JLS and Thuvia. St. Thomas More, the field of bio-ethics, architects to design beautiful churches again, art and world historians to proclaim the truth of civil and social and scientific advances thanks to the Catholic church, people who can preserve and restore all of the beautiful artful creations; fabric,stone, script and language ,paintings and mosaics. We need programers and engineers and other communications people to help the population at large access materials and information that will help them to learn and grow in their catholicism and citizenship and to teach their children as well. JLS i give you the benefit of good intention because I read your other post and consider this post in sum. I don't mind that you boil things down sometimes because these blogs can go adrift...However I do sense a bit of pessimism and that it is deflating. Here is an article from 'the others'{the Princeton Review} who is saying laudible about things about one of our institutions{T A C }. This is a happy thing! Let's be happy about it. Let's have hope that some catholics actually emerge from higher education with motivations intact; "to do all things to the Glory of God".
You boil things down sometimess but Thuvia seems to be simply boiling (lol). I like that pluckiness and coming to arms in defense of all that (s)he illuminated. Let's use this militant-ism {did i just create a new word ?:) } together to bring light to the darkness, what do you say, can we all be friends? p.s. i am the eldest sister of five who just can't seem to 'get over it'. forgive me please if i am out of line; i do mean well. thank you. Pax
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Posted Thursday, January 15, 2009 2:14 PM By Eileen
Elder Sister Talitha Kumi, I have very sweet elder sis and I adopt you as my elder (or youuger) sis too! I won't tell you to get over it. I know that people will spend money on the things that they find valuable. It has never ceased to amaze me how wonderfully God provides for large families. Gregorian's post confirms this. Poverty keeps us humble. Poverty helps us to use our God given creativity to solve problems and discover the solutions to those problems. Poverty without faith can lead to bitterness, jealously and anger. Poverty with faith can move mountains. Look how much trouble our country is in because of excess greed. I wonder if this young wealthy investor who recently crashed his own plane to fake his own death due to failed investments schemes would now be able to view how really wealthy he was before he had the illusion that it is money and wealth that brings peace and happiness? Three cheers for TAC! I hope that families will check it out for their loved ones. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where rust and moth consume, and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth consumes, nor thieves break in and steal. For where thy treasure is, there also will thy heart be. The lamp of the body is the eye. If thy eye be sound, thy whole body will be full of light.".....Matthew 6:19-22
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Posted Thursday, January 15, 2009 11:01 PM By JLS
Wouldn't you know it, people waxing eloquent on a blog about a college !!! I give up on this one. If I had to do it over, I'd opt for that new Catholic college in Casper Wyoming ... don't know what their academics are like, but they sure emphasize the outdoors ... just imagine all those wild game birds in that area waiting to land on the confectory table. This is what the Church in America needs desparately, a time spent in the wilderness ... get away from the inbred cities, throw off the centuries of urban contrivance, go into the nature God provides as St Francis did ... at least for a while. Make new wineskins, make new wine; throw out all the old stale stuff, trash the old wineskins. Let the Obama-ite Catholics rot with it, and bring forward the Church as a Spring lamb comes into the world.
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Posted Thursday, January 15, 2009 11:10 PM By JLS
Gregorian, I was in a rush and didn't word it right. I'm trying to show the contrast between the efforts of Catholicism in this nation and the advance of devilish things such as abortion, etc. Whether the Catholic education is improving or waning ... in either case, the devil is advancing. No matter how fast the sheep run, the wolves gain on them.
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Posted Friday, January 16, 2009 1:50 PM By Gregorian
And my point, JLS, is that for 40 years, Catholic education in America, from K - college, has most definitely been waning. (With exceptions such as TAC, Wyoming Catholic, Christendom) And the Devil has been advancing, as you say. The two things are related, I'd say.
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Posted Friday, January 16, 2009 9:14 PM By JLS
As I see it, the "formula" is in Jesus words to the devil at the third temptation: "Not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God". We receive Holy Communion, but how often do we learn of the homilies and sermons which ignore the words that come from the mouth of God? And the liturgy consists of words that come from the mouth of God, but if they are tampered with or removed, then man cannot live by the "Bread" and only a fraction of what comes from the mouth of God. I'd say that is the mortal violation right there ... the priests who shut God out and starve Jesus' sheep.
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Posted Friday, January 16, 2009 9:22 PM By JLS
There is lots of solid Catholic education available, and lots of holy materials accessible to anyone. But, like the Ten Commandments, it takes more than words; it takes both the Body and the Word of God ... At Genesis One, the earth was void etc and there was no life in the waters either: Then the Holy Spirit hovered over them and next thing you know, life was teeming and abundant. The parallel is that the Precious Body of Christ requires that we also receive what the Holy Spirit provided to the lifeless earth and oceans. St Benedict's "immortal" saying "ora et labora" fits perfectly in with this: It addresses both the Word of God and the Body of Christ, and in this formula we can see the necessity of sermons and homilies which are holy and which bring "every word that proceeds from out of the mouth of God" along with the Body of Christ.
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Posted Sunday, January 18, 2009 10:34 PM By Almond Milk
Major Dad thanks for clarifying. JLS what is your take on this school? I am just wondering? I value what you have to say about this school in particular. I may consider it in the near by future for my kids. Who knows in what direction God will lead us.
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Posted Tuesday, January 27, 2009 4:58 PM By Eli Justman
Just a clarification about the cost of TAC. It is not $30,000.
Including room and board it is close to $25,000.
But TAC has endowed a grant for students in need, and also has a great work study program (I received grants that covered half of total tuition each year). I attended despite the fact that my parents could not afford to contribute. I have some student loans, but nothing I can't afford.
Acedemically and spiritually, it is a great place; and it will always be home for me.
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Posted Tuesday, January 27, 2009 5:40 PM By Carol
Per TAC's own website, for the 2009-2010 school year, tuition is $22,400.00 plus room and board of $7,400.00 for total direct costs of $29,800. Add in books, spending money and transportation, and it's well over $30,000 a year. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.
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Posted Tuesday, January 27, 2009 5:47 PM By Carol
And I should mention that they're strict on financial aid. For example, "The College expects that students [and their parents] who are requesting financial assistance from the College will not have the available means to operate, insure, and maintain a vehicle."
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Posted Tuesday, January 27, 2009 5:49 PM By Almond Milk
Thanks Eli, I appreciate your comments, it will help me make a decision for my kids in the future. Glad that it is more affordable than others.
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Posted Friday, January 30, 2009 11:58 AM By Eli Justman
Well, I guess tuition has gone up. Nonetheless, I feel that the college works very hard to provide practical financial aid and it was very affordable for me (graduated two years ago).
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Posted Sunday, February 01, 2009 1:41 PM By Ben
For those considering TAC, a couple of points that you might want to consider. First, don't let the "sticker price" scare you. The majority of students receive financial aid, and many students participate in the college's work study program. My parents paid only about as much as they would have had I attended a local state university. I graduated with reasonable student loans, and am extremely grateful to the college and its benefactors for making this experience possible. My wife and I continue to donate to help other students who don't have the means attend this wonderful college.
Secondly, with regard to TAC's fidelity to the Church, I would say that its only peers would be schools like Christendom, Ave Maria, Wyoming Catholic College - and a few others. In fact, if you look at those other colleges and universities, you will find that many members of the faculty received their undergraduate degrees from TAC. I would say that it's thoroughly Catholic, but not oppressively Catholic. What I mean is that the spirit, environment, and cadence of life at the College is informed by prayer and the liturgy, but at the same time, it is confident enough in the truth of Catholicism to let non-Catholics attend, and to approach discussion on the basis of logic and the merits of the arguments. I attended as a non-Catholic, and in retrospect, attribute my conversion (which occurred a few years after I graduated) to the influence of my classmates and the faculty. They prayed for me, showed me a Christian example in the lives they lived, helped me correct my mis-perceptions of Catholicism - but it was all in a very patient manner, and in the context of our mutual, primary focus on the Great Books. That's why people are there - a liberal education through the Great Books.
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Posted Sunday, February 01, 2009 5:04 PM By Ignacio
I am from Argentina, and very interested in attending TAC. Naturally my financial conditions are limited, but what I would really want to know is at what age do normal people attend, and how TAC helps you once you finished the four years. What can you do after college, is there any title you earn? I am 18 years old and would appreciate any help
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Posted Sunday, February 01, 2009 10:37 PM By Anne T.
JLS, I can understand why the early desert fathers went off into the desert to get away from the rotting cities. I have received procures from the monks in Wyoming, and I can see why they want to be there.
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Posted Monday, February 02, 2009 9:25 AM By Ben
Ignacio: I would encourage you to contact the admissions department and discuss your situation with them. Every year, there are a number of international students. Naturally, they are not able to obtain student loans under the US federal loan programs, but there are alternatives. Students all graduate with the same degree - a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. It's a little misleading, since you will only be about 2 credit-hours short of a degree in mathematics, but I doubt most schools would accept Copernicus and Apollonius as a standard part of a mathematics program! Again, in terms of what you can do after graduation, please talk to the admissions department. A lot of students continue on to graduate studies, in politics, law, medicine, philosophy, history, etc. About 10% enter into a religious vocation. It's either a very practical, or a very impractical degree, depending upon how you look at it. Impractical in the sense that you will not graduate with technical skills, but practical in the sense that you have a foundation which many who pursued vocational degrees are missing. It's an education for "the big questions," and the mark of their graduates is that they continue to ask those questions for the rest of their lives. You have to figure out how to apply this in your selected vocation.
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Posted Monday, March 23, 2009 5:00 PM By Nightingale
Whoever wants to know, I was accepted to University of Michigan and Thomas Aquinas College and will be attending TAC in the fall. My uncle went there and is certainly among the wisest men I've met in my life and he just recently joined the Franciscans of the Immaculate. I've met some of the other students enrolled for the fall and I must say that I am looking forward to both an academic challenge and a group of students who will support me in my pursuit of holiness.
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Posted Monday, March 23, 2009 10:31 PM By JLS
Awesome choice, Nightengale; good work!!!
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