Thomas Aquinas College vs Hillsdale College

Thomas Aquinas College and Hillsdale College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Thomas Aquinas College, rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, emphasizes the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness through a rigorous classical curriculum. Hillsdale College, guided by its Christian heritage, promotes a deep understanding of the Western tradition and the principles of a free society. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in their acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comparison table to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Hillsdale College logo

Hillsdale College

Thomas Aquinas College logo

Thomas Aquinas College

Overview

Location Hillsdale, Michigan 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 94.0% 89.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Undenominational Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 23.7% 83.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $25
SAT range 1340 - 1510 1180 - 1370
ACT range 30 - 34 25 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 22.0% 34.0%
Students submitting ACT score 38.0% 19.0%
Total number of applicants 2,994 261
Total number of admissions given out 709 217
Admitted students who chose to enroll 397 131
Yield rate 56.0% 60.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $45,382 $48,062
Average net price $24,057 $22,631
Tuition $28,730 $26,000
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,020

Meal plan: $6,120
$9,400
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $20,535
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 34.0%
Average amount $10,497
5.0%
Average amount $7,167

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,515
Men 50.6% Women 49.4%
497
Men 49.7% Women 50.3%
Graduate students 87
Men 67.8% Women 32.2%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity N/A
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students N/A 5.4%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity 1,124 659
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
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 87.6% 85.9%
Dropout rate 8.3% 3.8%
Transferred out 3.9% 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