Cardinal Newman Society Salutes College’s “Growing Prestige”

“Marvel at the growing prestige of Thomas Aquinas College,” writes Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, in his most recent “News and Notes” column. The College, he adds, is “a thoroughly Catholic institution that confounds modern academia with its traditional Great Books program!”

Mr. O’Reilly goes on to direct readers to the Cardinal Newman Society’s recent story, Newman Guide Colleges Rated ‘Best Buys’ in 2015 Rankings, which highlights the strong ratings for various Newman Guide schools, and Thomas Aquinas in particular, in the top secular college guides. “Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, Calif., continues to rank highly against leading national institutions,” writes Kimberly Scharfenberger. “In the U.S. News and World Report list, the College is ranked the 30th ‘best value’ among national liberal arts colleges. And College Factual, which produced the rankings for USA Today, rates Thomas Aquinas College 12th out of 1,223 schools in the category ‘Best Nationwide Colleges for Your Money’ and the top value among all 337 colleges in the far western region of the United States.”

Of course, the Cardinal Newman Society is careful to point out that strong academics alone do not an excellent Catholic college make. “We caution against placing too much importance on rankings that ignore the most important elements of a truly good education — elements that are the primary criteria for The Newman Guide,” says Adam Wilson, the guide’s managing editor. “We believe The Newman Guide colleges are superior to all other options, because of their holistic approach to academics and the integration of faith in their studies and campus life.”

Thomas Aquinas College’s director of admissions, Jon Daly, agrees, saying, “Rankings tell only part of the story.” Adds President Michael F. McLean, “This year’s many reviews that rank Thomas Aquinas College highly are strong indicators that an institution of higher learning can provide an excellent academic program at a competitive price while being fully faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

 

Related:

• Newman Guide review of Thomas Aquinas College