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Is Thomas Aquinas College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Thomas Aquinas, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Thomas Aquinas sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $59,595 helps, but median debt of $19,000 plus yearly net price of $30,972 creates a tighter path. For context, Thomas Aquinas's net price is about 1% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$23,039
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $202 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $1,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data is workable, but not so strong that it erases financing risk.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$30,972
Median earnings 10 years out
$59,595
Median debt at graduation
$19,000
Graduation rate
84%
At Thomas Aquinas, a typical graduate carries about $19,000 in student debt and earns roughly $59,595 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $216 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $27,119 more than the typical working high school graduate in California ($32,476) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
79% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in California ($32,476).
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor's degree · 86 working graduates counted
$49,898
$17,422 above the benchmark
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
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What this means for your family
Thomas Aquinas is a private nonprofit four year school in Santa Paula, CA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
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These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
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Worth-It Score: 68/100
Median net price: $30,924
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Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science
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University of San Francisco
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San Diego Christian
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Worth-It Score: 29/100
Median net price: $31,898
Common questions about Thomas Aquinas
The median net price at Thomas Aquinas is $30,972 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in California? See the most affordable private colleges in California →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Thomas Aquinas in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$30,972a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →