Private nonprofit · College

Thomas College

Waterville, Maine · Remote town

96.3%
Admit rate
$18,885
Avg net price
54%
Graduation rate
$44,991
Median earnings

Thomas College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Waterville, Maine (remote town setting), enrolling 647 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 647 undergradsRemote townAccessible · 96% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersSnowy

About Waterville, Maine

Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. Called "Taconnet" after Chief Taconnet, the main village was located on the east bank of the Kennebec River at its confluence with the Sebasticook River at what is now Winslow. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
67 miles to Portland, ME
To the ocean
33 miles
Nearest airport
16 miles to Augusta State (AUG)

How Thomas College compares

Selectivity96.3%

More selective than 11% · #11 most selective of 15 in Maine

Graduation rate54%

Higher than 48% · #10 of 17 in Maine

First-year retention77%

Higher than 54%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$44,991

Higher than 24% · #11 of 17 in Maine

Average net price$18,885

Cheaper than 55% · #9 cheapest of 17 in Maine

Median debt at graduation$24,250

Lower than 43%

Student–faculty ratio20 : 1

Lower than 10%

Undergraduate enrollment647

Larger than 26%

Percentiles compare Thomas College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Maine.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

756students
  • Undergraduate64786%
  • Graduate10914%

Undergraduates by gender

647undergrads
  • Women32550%
  • Men32250%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White68%
  • Black4.2%
  • Hispanic1.7%
  • Asian0.9%
  • Other or multiracial25%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
647
Graduate enrollment
109
Student–faculty ratio
20 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
38%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$51,444
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$68,625
Endowment
$25,337,861

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
96.3%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$31,824
Room & board
$14,090
Books & supplies
$800
Total cost of attendance
$47,198
Average net price
$18,885

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
54%
Graduated on time (4 years)
48%
First-year retention
77%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$40,495
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$44,991
Median debt at graduation
$24,250
Students with federal loans
33%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
55%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
48%
Low-income (Pell)
46%
First-generation
47%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
611
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
94%
Housing charge (year)
$7,300
Meal plan (year)
$6,378
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
441 (274 men · 167 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (14)

Soccer63
Track and Field (Outdoor)50
Lacrosse49
Track and Field (Indoor)45
Basketball43
Baseball42
Other Sports32
Ice Hockey22
Field Hockey21
Softball21
Tennis19
Cross Country14
Volleyball12
Golf8

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
1
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,635 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

0.3reported offenses a year
0.3 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$12,655
$30–48k
$11,904
$48–75k
$16,227
$75–110k
$18,145
$110k+
$26,770

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$67,324

$16,227/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$21,251
average award, among those who get one

Thomas College discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $21,251. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 234 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$44,991
Typical debt at graduation
$24,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
54%
Out-earn a HS grad
56%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

Campus climate

Summer high
80°F
Winter low
9°F
Annual rain
43.4″
Annual snow
86.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.54.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Waterville Trtmt Plt, ME US station (0.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Thomas College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Thomas College side by side →

Colleges near Thomas College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.