Thomas College

What Thomas College does

Thomas College is a private, non-profit four-year institution of higher education founded in 1894 and headquartered in Waterville, Maine. The college serves approximately 700 students through 60+ undergraduate and 15 graduate degree programs spanning the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business, and the School of Education. Its core technology infrastructure consists of the Canvas LMS for online course delivery (with 8-week graduate terms offered six times per year), the myThomas student information portal, and Flywire for international tuition payments. No proprietary AI/ML systems are documented in the operating stack.

The business model is tuition-driven, with undergraduate full-time tuition of $32,772 per year (2026-2027), graduate in-person tuition of $1,051/credit, and online graduate programs priced at $627-$692/credit. Auxiliary revenue comes from on-campus housing ($6,876-$10,380/year), meal plans ($6,040-$7,176/year), and fees. The college heavily discounts list price through institutional aid — over $16.2 million in scholarships and grants in 2023-2024, with $13.6M from institutional sources — resulting in an average net price of roughly $17,000 per year. Go-to-market is multi-channel: direct-to-consumer admissions (no-fee applications, direct admissions for 2.75+ GPA students), event-driven open houses and campus tours, community-led high school visits, and a channel partner network of 20+ employer partnerships (Hannaford, City of Portland, Maine General Health, Gould Academy, and others) plus a Maine community college transfer pipeline. International students from 13 countries comprise a secondary segment.

Recent strategic positioning emphasizes career outcomes (a first-in-the-nation Guaranteed Job Program with 99% placement), accelerated degree completion (the Kiest Morgan 3+1 program, the only one of its kind in Maine, with 36% undergraduate uptake), first-generation student support (43% of the student body), and federally-funded workforce development expansion through a $974,000 U.S. Department of Education Project Sentinel cybersecurity grant (2023) and a $1M Governor's Energy Office grant (2024). The college is NECHE-accredited and Yellow Ribbon Program-certified, and is governed by a Board of Trustees with President Jeannine Diddle Uzzi leading operations.

Name

Thomas College

Legal name

Thomas College

Website

https://thomas.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Thomas College is a private, non-profit four-year institution founded in 1894 in Waterville, Maine, serving approximately 700 students through 75+ undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It differentiates via the only-in-Maine 3+1 accelerated degree, a Guaranteed Job Program, and employer-partnered graduate education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAH)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Online education
• Career services

Headquarters

HQ city

Waterville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Full-time undergraduate tuition for 12-18 credits per semester is $32,772 annually, with per credit hour cost of $1,051. This is the primary revenue stream for the institution.
2. Graduate Tuition: Graduate programs charge varying rates: in-person graduate $1,051/credit; online MBA $692/credit; online MSED $627/credit; MS Cybersecurity & Criminology $692/credit. Full-time in-person MBA program is $31,518 per year.
3. Room and Board: On-campus housing (residence halls and apartments) and meal plans generate additional revenue. Housing ranges from $6,876-$10,380/year; meal plans from $6,040-$7,176/year.
4. Fees and Miscellaneous: Undergraduate fees of $1,180 annually plus additional charges for books ($800), transportation ($4,560), and personal expenses ($1,200).
5. Financial Aid Distribution: Thomas College awarded over $16 million in scholarships and grants, with over $13.6 million from Thomas College institutional assistance. Average financial aid package for first-year students is $33,342.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Thomas College is a private four-year college that sells undergraduate and graduate degree programs (84 programs across 20 areas of study) in business, education, arts and sciences, and cybersecurity. Students can pursue accelerated 3+1 bachelor's-to-master's pathways, one-year master's degrees, dual enrollment, and online graduate programs, with supporting services such as housing, meal plans, career advising, and a Guaranteed Job Program.

Product overview

Thomas College is a private 4-year institution in Waterville, Maine offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The institution provides over 60 undergraduate degree programs and 15 graduate degree programs across three schools: the H. Allen Ryan School of Business, the Peter & Paula Lunder School of Education, and the School of Arts & Sciences. Key programs include accelerated pathways (3+1 Kiest Morgan Scholar program and One-Year Master's), dual enrollment for high school students, and corporate education partnerships through the Preferred Employer Program. Supporting infrastructure includes the myThomas student portal and the Guaranteed Job Program career service. The college recently expanded its cybersecurity offerings through Project Sentinel with Department of Education funding and introduced a new Trauma Healing and Community Wellness graduate degree.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs More than 60 undergraduate degree programs across the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Business, and School of Education, including accounting, business administration, computer science, criminal justice, cybersecurity, education, finance, marketing, psychology, applied mathematics, and biology, for high school graduates, transfer students, and international students.
• Graduate Degree Programs 15 graduate degree programs including MBA (in-person and online), MS in Cybersecurity, MS in Criminology, MS in Education, and M.Ed. in Trauma Healing and Community Wellness, designed for working professionals and adult learners seeking career advancement.
• 3+1 Accelerated Bachelor's-to-Master's Program (Kiest Morgan Scholar) Accelerated degree program allowing students to complete a bachelor's degree in three years and a master's degree in one additional year, saving over $30,000 versus a traditional 6-year path. One of only a handful of programs of its kind in the U.S. and the only one in Maine.
• One-Year Master's Program Full-time graduate program allowing students to earn a master's degree in one year, available in both online and in-person formats with continued access to campus life.
• Dual Enrollment Program Pre-college program allowing high school students to earn college credits before graduation. Students with 6+ dual enrollment credits may be eligible for automatic acceptance to Thomas College through the Direct Admissions program.
• Guaranteed Job Program Career service guarantee that students will have a job within 6-9 months of graduating, part of the college's partnership with students to keep college costs manageable and ensure career success; one of the first-in-the-nation guaranteed job programs.
• Preferred Education Partnerships Employer partnership program offering discounted graduate tuition — one free class plus 10% off additional courses — to employees of 20+ partner organizations including Hannaford, City of Portland, Maine General Health, Wex, Gould Academy, and Colby College.
• Project Sentinel Cybersecurity Workforce Program Cybersecurity workforce development program providing scholarships, internships, certifications, community outreach, and infrastructure to enhance cybersecurity education in Maine, funded by a $974,000 U.S. Department of Education grant.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of graduates have jobs or enroll in grad school/military within 6 months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gould AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership extending professional and graduate education opportunities to Gould Academy employees. 120+ employees receive tuition discount on graduate courses including one free class and 10% discount on additional courses.
• HannafordcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployee tuition reimbursement program through preferred education partnership, offering discounted graduate courses to Hannaford employees.
• City of PortlandcoreGTM or Marketing Partner1,400 municipal employees now eligible for tuition discount through preferred employer partnership program.
• Colby CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Central Maine Education Consortium for regional educational collaboration.
• Maine General HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmployee graduate education benefits through preferred employer partnership program.
• WexcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to build pipeline of talent for Maine economy through employee education benefits.
• MEMICminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred employer partnership supporting employee education through discounted graduate programs.
• Maine Municipal AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership supporting municipal employees with graduate education benefits.
• SappiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal paper supplier partnership providing discounted master's degrees and certificates of advanced study to employees.
• API AbroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy abroad program partnership offering international study opportunities for students.
• International Studies AbroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy abroad program partnership for semester, year-long, and short-term international programs.
• Washington CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternship abroad program partnership in Washington D.C. with over 50,000 alumni in public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
• JMG (Jobs for Maine Graduates)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJMG Program partnership supporting career development and workforce preparation for Maine students.
• Kennebec Behavioral HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred education partnership for behavioral health organization employees.
• Johnny's Selected SeedsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred education partnership for agricultural company's employees.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Colby College: Highly selective private liberal arts college also located in Waterville, Maine. While significantly more selective and better resourced, Colby competes in the same regional labor and student-recruitment market and is a partner in the Central Maine Education Consortium referenced by Thomas.
• University of Southern Maine: Public comprehensive university in southern Maine with significant graduate and online enrollment. Competes with Thomas for adult learners, transfer students, and corporate partnership-driven graduate enrollment in Maine.
• Bates College: Private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. While more selective and better resourced, Bates competes with Thomas for Maine-bound private-college applicants and employer partnerships in the state.
• University of Maine at Farmington: Public liberal arts college in Farmington, Maine with similar small residential footprint. Competes with Thomas for in-state undergraduates, transfer students, and education majors in the same Maine market.
• University of Maine at Augusta: Public 4-year institution in central Maine with strong transfer and adult-learner orientation. A direct competitor for non-traditional, working, and transfer students that Thomas also targets through the Maine Transfer Guarantee.

Direct peers

• Husson University: Private university in Bangor, Maine offering undergraduate and graduate programs with strong business, pharmacy, and health sciences focus. Closest in size, geography, mission, and program mix to Thomas College, including accelerated and online graduate offerings.
• Unity College: Small private college in Maine that has shifted toward hybrid/online models to address enrollment pressure. Similar in size, mission-driven positioning, and need to expand adult-learner and graduate offerings to remain viable.
• University of New England: Private university in Maine operating across multiple campuses and online, with strong professional and graduate programs (health sciences, education, business). Comparable to Thomas in private Maine positioning, graduate expansion, and partnership-driven enrollment.
• Saint Joseph's College of Maine: Small private Catholic college in Maine that has pivoted heavily to online adult-learner enrollment, mirroring Thomas's online graduate channel and Preferred Employer Partnership strategy. Comparable in size, mission, and reliance on discounted tuition.

Broad incumbents

• Southern New Hampshire University: Large, online-first nonprofit university with deep adult-learner and corporate partnership channels. Not geographically competing, but the dominant benchmark for online graduate pricing and employer partnership scale that Thomas's online MBA, MS Cybersecurity, MS Education, and MS Criminology offerings compete against.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/112360930170
• Instagraminstagram.com/thomascollege
• Xx.com/thomascollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thomas-college

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thomas College