Thomas More College of Liberal Arts

Private · NH

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationNH · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads97

Student:faculty10:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate50%

6-yr grad rate62.5%

Drop-out rate12%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$30k

Out-of-state tuition$30k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity22.7%

Gender diversity53.6%

International2.1%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, in Merrimack, New Hampshire, is a small Catholic Great Books college where every student follows the same integrated curriculum rather than choosing among majors and electives. The course of study moves through primary texts in literature, philosophy, theology, history, and the sciences in a set sequence, built on the conviction that the Western and Catholic intellectual tradition should be studied directly rather than through textbooks. It is one of a small number of colleges nationally built entirely around this single-curriculum, Great Books model.

Academics

Classes run as small seminar discussions rather than lectures, with faculty and students working through the same shared texts across the four years. There are no traditional academic majors; instead, students complete the full sequence and often pursue a senior thesis or independent project within it. A semester in Rome is built into the curriculum for essentially all students, giving direct exposure to the art, architecture, and religious life of the city as coursework rather than as an optional study-abroad add-on.

Campus & student life

The campus is small and close-knit by design, with daily life organized around shared meals, Mass, and the same discussion-based classes that make up the curriculum. Catholic practice is woven through campus rhythms rather than treated as an extracurricular option, and the small student body means most people know each other across class years.

Getting in

Because the curriculum is fixed and demanding, admissions looks for students genuinely drawn to a Great Books, all-required-reading course of study and to campus religious life — an interest in open electives or a conventional major menu is a mismatch here more than a matter of competitiveness.

Worth knowing

The absence of majors and electives is the central fact prospective students need to understand before applying — there is one curriculum, taken by everyone, and the Rome semester is built in rather than optional. This is a fit-driven choice more than a competitive one.

thomasmorecollege.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate—

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot reported

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying