Thomas Aquinas College

Thomas Aquinas College organizes its entire academic program around the Great Books rather than textbooks. Students read original works by influential authors and discuss them in small classes across mathematics, science, language, literature, philosophy, and theology. The curriculum seeks both natural and divine wisdom, with the intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church shaping the course of study and the wider community. Complex questions are treated as opportunities for discussion, with truth as the ultimate goal.

The College offers one program on two coasts. Its California campus is in Santa Paula, where year-round sunshine, mission architecture, and nearby beaches define the setting. The New England campus is in Northfield, Massachusetts, with four seasons, historic colonial buildings, and the Connecticut River Valley. Students can expect a shared academic framework across both locations, along with a community connecting intellectual work, spiritual growth, friendships, and activities geared toward growth in mind, body, and spirit.

Life at Thomas Aquinas College is explicitly Catholic, so prospective international students should understand that faith informs the curriculum, moral teaching, and community life. The discussion method requires active engagement with difficult concepts and a willingness to grapple with complex questions. Alumni work in the Church and the wider world, including education, librarianship, military service, and national organizations. The College reports a 1:11 faculty-student ratio, while one-third of students attend graduate school.