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University or college · Private nonprofit

Thomas College

Waterville, ME72 online only

Thomas College is a private nonprofit college in Waterville, ME, with about 1,597 students on campus.

Visit www.thomas.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,597
plus 72 studying only online
Admission rate
96%
higher than at 89% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$18,885
lower than at 55% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
54%
lower than at 52% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$44,991
higher than at 60% of U.S. colleges
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Thomas College?

96%

of applicants admitted

About 19 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Thomas College is likely test-optional and admits nearly everyone who applies.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $47,198 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $31,824Room & board $14,090Books & supplies $800

After grants, the average family on aid pays $18,885.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$16,227

About $64,908 over 4 years · 66% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
54%
within 6 years · Pell students 46%
Come back for year two
77%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$44,991
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$24,250
about $257 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

7.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$257 a month against about $3,375 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

65%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 80% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 39%Education 12%Public safety 11%Psychology 9%Computer science 8%Parks, recreation & fitness 6%Everything else 15%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Business Administration, Management and Operations22 graduates a year · typical debt $21,250
$52k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods16 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$47k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness14 graduates a year · typical debt $24,250
$51k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections14 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$55k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services14 graduates a year · typical debt $20,500
$65k4 yrs out
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions12 graduates a year
—not reported
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology11 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
—not reported
Marketing8 graduates a year
—not reported
Who goes there

The students

647 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 68%Hispanic 2%Black 4%Asian 1%Two or more 3%International 7%

Women and men

Women 46%Men 54%
20 : 1
students per teacher
18%
get Pell grants (lower income)
33%
take federal loans
1%
undergrads 25 or older
1%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Waterville

18% of Waterville’s 17,579 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Waterville pages.

Waterville →
WatervilleWaterville, ME
$978/momedian rent · 14% below the state$250Ktypical home valueC−Safety Grade9° / 80°January low / July high · 86" of snowCHealth GradeAll colleges in and near WatervilleCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Thomas College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Colby CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Waterville
2.7 mi2,284 students
Kennebec Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fairfield
5.5 mi1,525 students
University of Maine at AugustaUniversity or college · Public · Augusta · mostly online
14.5 mi1,707 students
University of Maine at FarmingtonUniversity or college · Public · Farmington
25.7 mi1,497 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.