More selective than 25% of Maine colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $47,198. College Scorecard.
Higher than 41% of Maine colleges we cover and 50% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 35% of Maine colleges we cover and 25% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Thomas College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 853 applicants, Thomas College admitted 828 and 194 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Thomas College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Thomas College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Thomas College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Maine. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,655 | $52,139 | 6.3 years |
| $30–48k | $11,904 | $49,044 | 5.9 years |
| $48–75k | $16,227 | $66,855 | 8.0 years |
| $75–110k | $18,145 | $74,757 | 9.0 years |
| $110k+ | $26,770 | $110,292 | 13.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (45% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($44,991) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in ME (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $8,330 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Thomas College majors, earnings & careers
Thomas College offers 29 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Education · 3
- Humanities & Languages · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Science & Math · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Thomas College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $76,089 | — |
| Accounting | $65,028 | $27,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $54,649 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $52,490 | $23,707 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $51,014 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $49,253 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $46,988 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 29 majors
- Accounting$65,028
- Applied Mathematics—
- Business Administration$52,490
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science$76,089
- Criminal Justice$54,649
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,988
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- Homeland Security—
- Hospitality Management—
- Human Resources—
- Information Technology—
- Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$51,014
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$49,253
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Security / Homeland Security—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Waterville
2 bedrooms $1,374.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 86 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Kennebec County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Kennebec County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Thomas College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Maine by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas College | 96% | $18,885 | 54% | $44,991 | This school |
| Saint Joseph's College of Maine | 84% | $27,555 | 66% | $59,045 | |
| Maine College of Art & Design | 76% | $38,338 | 52% | $40,778 | |
| University of New England | 92% | $38,107 | 68% | $55,921 | |
| Husson University | 81% | $21,005 | 59% | $45,025 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Thomas College would cost you $8,670 less per year than Saint Joseph's College of Maine, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Thomas College, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$12,596).
- Saint Joseph's College of Maine gives aided families $3,914 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Maine resident | Thomas College | Saint Joseph's College of Maine | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $31,824 | $44,420 | −$12,596 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $1,200 | −$400 |
| Housing & meals | $13,678 | $14,936 | −$1,258 |
| Personal & travel | $2,900 | $1,700 | +$1,200 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,004 | −$2,474 | +$470 |
| Sticker price | $47,198 | $59,782 | −$12,584 |
| Average grants | −$28,313 | −$32,227 | +$3,914 |
| You pay | $18,885 | $27,555 | −$8,670 |
“+” means Thomas College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Thomas College
What is the Thomas College acceptance rate?
Thomas College accepts 96% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 828 of 853 applicants were admitted.
How much does Thomas College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $47,198 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,885 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,655 and families earning $110k+ pay $26,770.
How much do Thomas College graduates earn?
Former Thomas College students earn a median $44,991 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Thomas College graduation rate?
54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a Thomas College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Thomas College costs about $66,855 after grants ($16,227 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $44,991 ten years after starting, $8,330 more than high school graduates in Maine ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 8.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Thomas College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/thomas-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).