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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 $55,619 helps, but median debt of $18,000 plus yearly net price of $26,196 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 manageable, but it makes the aid offer matter a lot.
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
$26,196
Median earnings 10 years out
$55,619
Median debt at graduation
$18,000
Graduation rate
83%
At Thomas Aquinas, a typical graduate carries about $18,000 in student debt and earns roughly $55,619 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $205 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 $13,819 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
69% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
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.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
California Baptist
Riverside, CA
Worth-It Score: 58/100
Median net price: $26,285
Private nonprofit 4-year
Whittier
Whittier, CA
Worth-It Score: 57/100
Median net price: $25,757
Private nonprofit 4-year
University of the Pacific
Stockton, CA
Worth-It Score: 74/100
Median net price: $25,447
Private nonprofit 4-year
Providence Christian
Pasadena, CA
Worth-It Score: 36/100
Median net price: $25,163
Private nonprofit 4-year
Simpson
Redding, CA
Worth-It Score: 42/100
Median net price: $27,817
Common questions about Thomas Aquinas
The median net price at Thomas Aquinas is $26,196 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 →
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 →