Catholicism on Campus: Stability and Change in Catholic Student Faith by College Type

Abstract

A re Catholic colleges and universities failing in their mission of educating their Catholic students in the faith?Many believe these institutions are in one key way: A 2003 study commissioned by the Cardinal Newman Society concluded that "a survey of students at 38 Catholic colleges…reveals that graduating seniors are predominantly pro-abortion, approve of homosexual 'marriage,' and only occasionally pray or attend religious services" (Reilly, 2003, p. 38).As disturbing as this profi le may be to many Catholic Church leaders, it is a profi le of attitudes and behavior that is not all that different from adult selfidentifi ed Catholics in the United States in general (Gray & Bendyna, 2008; Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, 2008a, 2008b).Thus, one could conclude that Catholic higher education is just one of many Catholic educational institutions, including Catholic parishes and schools, that reach a broader Catholic population in the United States and are potentially having diffi culties instilling the Catholic faith.To understand if Catholic higher education is truly failing one must isolate changes that are occurring to students' attitudes and behaviors on campus.Here we agree with the author summarizing the Cardinal Newman Society study who notes, "Regardless of where students begin their college journey, Catholic colleges should be helping students move closer [emphasis added] to Christ, and certainly doing a better job of moving students toward the Catholic faith than secular colleges do" (Reilly, 2003, p. 43).This represents a measurable outcome.We, like the Cardinal Newman Society, rely on data from the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at the University of California, Los Angeles.The Cardinal Newman Society study was based on a survey of college freshmen in 1997 and a follow-up survey with students in their senior year in 2001.We rely on a more recent HERI longitudinal survey, which

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