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Three Key Ways That Christian Schools Influence Students

January 30, 2018

Christian high schools in North America help students remain faithful as young adults, new research confirms. Using Cardus Education Survey data, University of Notre Dame analysts say that attending a Protestant Evangelical school has a measurable effect on graduates that is distinct from the influence of family, socio-economic background, or church life. Among the findings in the new report, Walking the Path: The Religious Lives of Young Adults in North America, are three key ways in which graduates of Protestant Evangelical high schools are different than public school grads:

  • Christian school graduates report significantly higher belief in orthodox Christian teachings, such as the belief that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation and that the Bible is infallible in matters of faith and practice.
  • Christian school graduates are much more likely to pray, read the Bible, attend church regularly, and tithe.
  • Christian school graduates are less likely to switch religious affiliation or to turn from the faith of their childhood.

“Church and family life are important in young adults’ spiritual formation, but our research reinforces the fact school plays an important role in this as well,” says Dr. Beth Green, education program director at think tank Cardus. “Church leaders, parents, and educators must know and understand just how important attending Christian school can be in bolstering young adults’ faith.”

Dr. Green says the findings underline why families need access to diverse school options.

“We must maintain Christian schools as an option for as many families as possible so that everyone who wants to can have access to Christian education,” says Dr. Green.

Click here to read Walking the Path: The Religious Lives of Young Adults in North America online.

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Daniel Proussalidis
Cardus – Director of Communications
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dproussalidis@cardus.ca