Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Thomas Aquinas College, Pepperdine University, Occidental College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Thomas AquinasSanta Paula, CA | Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA | OccidentalLos Angeles, CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 83.1% | 62.9% | 44.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1220–1400 | 1290–1450 | 1380–1520 |
| Average net price | $26,19626.7% on Pell grants | $58,09820.3% on Pell grants | $38,26316.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $30,200Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $69,918Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $66,274Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 84.3% | 83.4% | 80.9% |
| First-year retention | 91.6% | 87.6% | 89.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 26.7% | 20.3% | 16.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $55,619 | $82,939 | $75,951 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $18,000 | $23,510 | $23,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 10:1 | 13:1 | 9:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 566 | 3,553 | 1,877 |
| Consensus percentile | 30Lower is better | 32Lower is better | 27Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 48 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 54 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 65 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Thomas Aquinas | Pepperdine University | Occidental |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #63 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #84 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #34 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #123 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #110 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #815 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1069 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #238 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #145 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #359 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #157 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #437 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #176 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Thomas Aquinas College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Pepperdine University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Occidental College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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