Thomas Aquinas College vs Principia College

Thomas Aquinas College and Principia College, both rooted in strong academic traditions, offer distinct educational experiences. Thomas Aquinas, a Catholic liberal arts college, boasts a 100% acceptance rate and a student body predominantly composed of Caucasian students. Principia, a Christian Science college, has a lower acceptance rate of 67% and a more diverse student body. While Thomas Aquinas focuses on the Great Books and classical education, Principia emphasizes a Christian Science perspective in its curriculum. Both colleges offer a range of popular majors, including liberal arts, business, and education, and boast impressive graduation rates of 98% and 97%, respectively. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Principia College	Thomas Aquinas College
Overview
Location	Elsah, Illinois	Santa Paula, California
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	Rural: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	81.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation		Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	84.1%	83.1%
Application fees
SAT range	1028 - 1193	1180 - 1370
ACT range	21 - 28	25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	30.0%	34.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	19.0%
Total number of applicants	138	261
Total number of admissions given out	116	217
Admitted students who chose to enroll	79	131
Yield rate	68.1%	60.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$42,820	$48,062
Average net price	$19,816	$22,631
Tuition	$29,970	$26,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,810 Meal plan: $6,460	$9,400
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $25,174	71.0% Average amount $13,973
Students receiving federal student loan	0.0% Average amount $0	69.0% Average amount $3,590
Students taking out private loans	94.0% Average amount $2,016	5.0% Average amount $7,167

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	321 Men 53.0% Women 47.0%	497 Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	92.7%	N/A
International students	24.3%	5.4%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity	585	659
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Missouri California Texas Illinois Ohio	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science Social Sciences Business	Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	5:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	85.9%	85.9%
Dropout rate	14.1%	3.8%
Transferred out	N/A	9.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	N/A	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,750 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $34,459

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