Thomas Aquinas College

What is the history of Thomas Aquinas College?

Thomas Aquinas College is a private Catholic liberal arts college founded in 1971. It began in California with a curriculum built around reading and discussing foundational works rather than choosing from a range of majors.

The college moved to its Santa Paula campus in the late 1970s. In 2019, it opened a second campus in Northfield, Massachusetts. Applicants should distinguish between the two locations: they share the college's academic approach, but housing, travel, and campus activities depend on where a student enrolls.

What are the faculties and departments at Thomas Aquinas College?

Thomas Aquinas College offers one undergraduate course of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. It does not organize its curriculum around separate undergraduate schools or a conventional menu of majors.

All students follow a prescribed sequence that includes mathematics, natural science, language, literature, history, philosophy, and theology. Classes center on primary texts and discussion, often using the college's seminar and tutorial formats. This structure offers sustained exposure to several disciplines, but it leaves much less room to specialize or choose electives than a typical liberal arts degree. Applicants seeking a specific professional major should compare the curriculum with any graduate-school or licensing prerequisites they may eventually need.

What is the location of Thomas Aquinas College?

The California campus of Thomas Aquinas College is in Santa Paula, in Ventura County. Its residential setting is distinct from a downtown or commuter-campus experience.

Santa Paula is within reach of other Ventura County communities, but students should consider how they would handle appointments, internships, and trips away from campus. Public transportation may not substitute for a car for every journey. The college also has a campus in Northfield, Massachusetts; applicants should confirm which campus their admission and housing arrangements cover.

What is the mission and vision of Thomas Aquinas College?

Thomas Aquinas College describes its purpose as providing a Catholic liberal education through sustained study of influential works in the Western intellectual tradition. Its stated approach brings philosophical and theological inquiry together with the humanities, mathematics, and sciences.

The college's Catholic identity is part of its academic and community life, not simply an affiliation on paper. Prospective students need not assume that a Catholic institution offers only religious coursework: the prescribed program spans multiple disciplines. They should, however, expect theology and questions about faith and reason to be regular parts of the curriculum.