Thomas More College receives high marks for its curriculum

Sep 1, 2011 / 07:09 am

The New Hampshire Catholic school Thomas More College of Liberal Arts was recently named among the top two percent of colleges nationwide for educational quality.

“This is a decisive endorsement of our curriculum,” said college president William Fahey. “I am thrilled with the award and am proud of what the faculty and students have achieved.”

The 2011-12 “What will they Learn?” study, conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, evaluated over 1,000 four-year liberal arts institutions across the U.S. on their curriculum.

Of all the schools, only 19 received an “A” rating. 

The organization rated the colleges on the number of courses they require of students in seven core areas: English composition, mathematics, science, economics, American history, literature, and foreign language.

Schools that required students to take at least six of the seven core subjects received an “A,” a desigination that Thomas More College received, making it one of only two institutions in the Northeast to receive the rating. 

The study also found that more than 60 percent of all institutions received a “C” or worse for requiring three or fewer subjects. One-third of the institutions received a “D” or “F” for requiring two or fewer subjects.

“The low grades of other institutions do not indicate a lack of talent or resources, simply the disappearance of the desire and ability to hold all students to a common high standard,” Fahey said in an Aug. 31 statement.

“Young people thirst for a good core education, and the ACTA rating is additional proof in Thomas More College’s ability to deliver it.”

Other Catholic schools that made the short “A” list were the University of Dallas and Thomas Aquinas College based in Santa Paula, Calif.