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SANTA PAULA, CA (February 8, 2012) - Thomas Aquinas College is one of the nation's "Best Value" schools according to The Princeton Review in its just-published book, "The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition" (Random House / Princeton Review, $21.99, February 7, 2012) and on a special area on its website at http://www.princetonreview.com/best-value-colleges.aspx. Thomas Aquinas College is the only private Catholic college in California to be named a "Best Value", and one of only five private Catholic institutions in the country, along with Boston College, the College of the Holy Cross, Georgetown University, and the University of Notre Dame.

Says Robert Franek, Princeton Review's Senior VP/Publisher and lead author of The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition, "We commend Thomas Aquinas College and all of the extraordinary colleges on our 2012 'Best Value Colleges' list for all they are doing to keep costs down and for offering generous aid to applicants with financial need – all while maintaining excellent academic programs."

In their profile of Thomas Aquinas College, the editors at The Princeton Review praise the school, saying, “The broad education found here brings together students who are heading out into all walks of life and church, so you won’t see piles of students jockeying for the same internships come spring; every student emerges with the same degree and same quality of education.” It also lauds the school for its campus life: “The student morale is indeed great….The close-knittedness of the community here is palpable. The students spend a great deal of time together in class, on weekends, in the single-sex residence, at three daily meals, and in Mass. Hiking in the nearby national forest, intramural sports, choir, and a variety of extracurricular activities further the bonds.”

The profile also includes remarks from Thomas Aquinas College students surveyed by the Princeton Review. One respondent said, “There is a positive and peaceful atmosphere [here] that comes with knowing you are seeking the truth in the best way possible.” Another student explained that the 4-year, co-educational institution is “unapologetically Catholic” and “takes learning seriously for its own sake, not just as preparation for a job.”

The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition, subtitled "The 150 Best Buy Colleges and What It Takes to Get In," features profiles of 75 public and 75 private colleges with detailed information about their campus culture, facilities, and financial aid offerings. Of the 75 schools in each group, the top 10 colleges are ranked 1 to 10, and the remaining 65 are listed in alphabetical order.

The "Best Value Colleges" list and information about the schools are also posted on a dedicated area of USA TODAY.com which has been the Princeton Review's online publishing partner for this project since 2009. USA TODAY’s site (http://bestvaluecolleges.usatoday.com) features an exclusive database that allows users to view in-depth details about the schools by clicking on an interactive map. Users can explore criteria including cost of attendance and financial aid data, enrollment size, location, and The Princeton Review’s analysis of why it chose each school as a “Best Value.”

The Princeton Review selected its "Best Value Colleges" schools based on institutional data and student opinion surveys collected from the 650 colleges and universities that the company regards as the nation's academically best undergraduate institutions. The selection process analyzed more than 30 data points broadly covering academics, cost, and financial aid. Cost and financial aid data came from the Company's fall 2011 surveys of school administrators. Data on academics came from its fall 2010 through fall 2011 surveys of school administrators. Data from students attending the schools over these years included their assessments of their professors and their satisfaction with their financial aid awards.

For more information about Thomas Aquinas College, please visit www.thomasaquinas.edu.

About Thomas Aquinas College
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Thomas Aquinas College has developed a solid reputation for academic excellence in the United States and abroad. At Thomas Aquinas College, there are no majors, no minors, or electives because all students acquire a broad and fully integrated liberal education. The College offers one 4-year, classical curriculum that spans the major arts and sciences. Instead of reading textbooks, students read the original works of the greatest thinkers in Western civilization — the Great Books — in all the major disciplines: mathematics, natural science, literature, philosophy, and theology. Rather than listening to lectures, they engage in rigorous Socratic discussions about these works in classes of 15-18 students. The academic life of the college is conducted under the light of the Catholic faith and flourishes within a close-knit community, supported by a vibrant spiritual life. Genuinely committed to upholding civic virtue and leading lives dedicated to the good of others, Thomas Aquinas College graduates enter a wide array of fields where they are a powerful force for good in the Church and in the culture. Well-versed in rational discourse, they become leaders in education, law, medicine, journalism, public policy, military service, and business. In addition, a steady 10% of alumni go on to the priesthood or religious life.

About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review (Nasdaq: REVU) has been a pioneer and leader in helping students achieve their higher education goals for 30 years through college and graduate school test preparation and private tutoring. With more than 165 print and digital publications and a free website, www.PrincetonReview.com, the company provides students and their parents with the resources to research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for higher education. The Princeton Review partners with schools and guidance counselors throughout the U.S. to assist in college readiness, test preparation and career planning services, helping more students pursue postsecondary education. The company also owns and operates Penn Foster Education Group, a global leader in online education, providing career-focused degree and vocational programs in the fields of allied health, business, technology, education, and select trades through the Penn Foster High School and Penn Foster Career School (www.pennfoster.edu). For more information, visit www.PrincetonReview.com.

Contact

Thomas Aquinas College
http://thomasaquinas.edu/news/princeton-review-names-colleges-list-best-value-colleges-2012  CA, 93060 US
Anne Forsyth - Director of College Relations,  805-525-4417

Keywords

thomas auqinas college, princeton review, best value,

Category

Catholic Schools & Religious Education