Wells College vs Thomas Aquinas College

Wells College and Thomas Aquinas College, two distinct institutions with unique offerings, stand ready to shape the academic journeys of prospective students. Wells College, a private liberal arts college in Aurora, New York, boasts an acceptance rate of 75%, inviting a diverse student body to explore its popular majors in psychology, biology, and business administration. In contrast, Thomas Aquinas College, a private Catholic liberal arts college in Santa Paula, California, maintains a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of only 35%. Its curriculum centers around the Great Books, emphasizing philosophy and theology, while also offering majors in mathematics, natural science, and social science. With Wells College's graduation rate at 63% and Thomas Aquinas College's at 85%, both institutions are committed to nurturing intellectual growth and empowering students to achieve their academic goals. Delve into the comparison table below to discover more about these institutions and determine which one aligns best with your aspirations and values.
Thomas Aquinas College logo

Thomas Aquinas College

Wells College logo

Wells College

Overview

Location Santa Paula, California Aurora, New York
Campus setting Rural: Distant 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 89.0% 46.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 83.1% 68.3%
Application fees
SAT range 1180 - 1370 N/A
ACT range 25 - 30 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 34.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0%
Total number of applicants 261 2,167
Total number of admissions given out 217 1,480
Admitted students who chose to enroll 131 140
Yield rate 60.4% 9.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $48,062 $49,100
Average net price $22,631 $19,963
Tuition $26,000 $30,950
Room & board $9,400
Room/dormitory: $11,800

Meal plan: $3,000
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

71.0%
Average amount $13,973
100.0%
Average amount $27,321
Students receiving federal student loan 69.0%
Average amount $3,590
83.0%
Average amount $5,847
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $7,167
19.0%
Average amount $13,131

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 497
Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
342
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 5.4% 1.2%
Campus local/setting Rural: Distant Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity 659 442
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Liberal Arts
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Education
  • History
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 85.9% 55.0%
Dropout rate 3.8% 45.0%
Transferred out 9.0% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,750
  • Year 2: $30,047
  • Year 3: $34,459
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,774
  • Year 2: $17,560
  • Year 3: $31,573
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: N/A
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: N/A
Visual and Performing Arts, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,964
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,629
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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