St. Andrews University vs Thomas Aquinas College

St. Andrews University and Thomas Aquinas College, while both rooted in a strong commitment to liberal arts education, offer distinct experiences for students seeking a transformative undergraduate journey. St. Andrews, located in Laurinburg, North Carolina, boasts a diverse student body with an acceptance rate of 68%, while Thomas Aquinas, nestled in Santa Paula, California, maintains a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 33%. St. Andrews offers a wider range of academic programs, with popular majors including Business Administration, Psychology, and Biology, while Thomas Aquinas focuses on a core curriculum centered around the Great Books and Catholic intellectual tradition. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences in student demographics, graduation rates, and other key aspects that will help you make an informed decision about your academic future.
St. Andrews University logo

St. Andrews University

Thomas Aquinas College logo

Thomas Aquinas College

Overview

Location Laurinburg, North Carolina Santa Paula, California
Campus setting Town: 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 and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 60.0% 89.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Presbyterian Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 12.3% 83.1%
Application fees
SAT range N/A 1180 - 1370
ACT range N/A 25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 34.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0%
Total number of applicants 2,164 261
Total number of admissions given out 266 217
Admitted students who chose to enroll 261 131
Yield rate 98.1% 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) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $44,000 $48,062
Average net price $19,862 $22,631
Tuition $27,630 $26,000
Room & board $11,300 $9,400
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

97.0%
Average amount $27,106
71.0%
Average amount $13,973
Students receiving federal student loan 94.0%
Average amount $5,940
69.0%
Average amount $3,590
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $13,036
5.0%
Average amount $7,167

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 876
Men 45.9% Women 54.1%
497
Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
Graduate students 35
Men 54.3% Women 45.7%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 59.6% N/A
International students 7.1% 5.4%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity 521 659
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Florida Maryland N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Psychology
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 31.2% 85.9%
Dropout rate 68.8% 3.8%
Transferred out N/A 9.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,462
  • Year 2: $31,133
  • Year 3: $33,807
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,845
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,750
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,418
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,852
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: 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