Aquinas College Praised By Cardinal Newman Society

College named as a top faithful Catholic College

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new independent guide by the Cardinal Newman Society, The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, selected Aquinas College as one of 21 Catholic colleges and universities in the United States that provide faithful Catholic college education.

“Aquinas College is a small college with a proud local tradition, particularly in areas such as nursing and teaching. With several promising initiatives underway, it is poised to expand its curriculum and attract students from well beyond the Nashville area.”

The second edition of The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College also includes a free online resource for parents and students seeking a faithful Catholic education. The Newman Guide looks at Catholic colleges and universities from a Catholic point of view, unlike other secular guides such as U.S. News and World Report. The second edition recommends 21 Catholic colleges and universities in the United States plus eight international, online, and unique programs based on the strength of their Catholic identity.

The Newman Guide provides an extensive description of the healthy Catholic identity of Aquinas College and summarized it in five key points:

1. The College is owned by faithful and dynamic Nashville Dominicans.
2. It is proudly orthodox in a heavily non-Catholic region of the country.
3. More than half the credits toward a Bachelor of Arts degree are liberal arts core requirements.
4. It is best know for pre-professional programs in nursing, education and business.
5. All-commuter college with plans to build residence halls.

Explaining the strengths of Aquinas College, The Newman Guide not only mentions its affordability, which is $16,680, far below the average private college tuition in Tennessee, but also points to the fact that the campus is growing despite being in an area with a small Catholic population.

"One such institution, a small and emerging gem in west Nashville five miles from downtown, is the 83-acre Aquinas College. Founded by the Dominican Sisters of the Congregation of Saint Cecilia, it is an anomaly of Catholic liberal arts education in an area with a miniscule four percent Catholic population. The College is on the move: enrollment doubled since 2000, and further expansion is anticipated when residential facilities are built."

The Newman Guide's evaluation of Aquinas College concludes with this recommendation:

"Aquinas College is a small college with a proud local tradition, particularly in areas such as nursing and teaching. With several promising initiatives underway, it is poised to expand its curriculum and attract students from well beyond the Nashville area.

"The fact that the city and state are so overwhelmingly Protestant does not deter the college from living its Catholic identity. Aquinas College embraces Ex corde Ecclesiae, making it a cause for celebration in a changing South.

"This is a college worth considering both for students in Tennessee and increasingly for those around the nation who are looking for the careful attention and dynamic spirit that the Dominican Sisters provide to faithful education."

The full report can be found at www.thenewmanguide.com.

About Aquinas College: Aquinas College, the only four-year Catholic liberal arts college in middle and east Tennessee, is committed to the intellectual, moral, and professional development of its students. For additional information, please visit www.aquinascollege.edu.