Spiritual Life of Collegians

1. See also Understanding College Students
2. 52% attended religious services regularly before going to college, but by their junior year only 29% still attended regularly. (source: SIHE)
3. Only 1 out of 3 high school students expects to continue being involved with church once they're living on their own. (source)
4. 3/4 of juniors report that they regularly pray, that religion is helpful to them, and that they often discuss religion with their friends. (source: SIHE)
5. Around 1/5 of college students are extremely skeptical about religion and the possibility of God's existence. (source: SIHE)
6. 2/3 question their religious beliefs occassionally. (source: SIHE)
7. 1/2 say their professors never give an opportunity to discuss the meaning of life or spirituality in their classes. (source: SIHE)
8. 2/3 say their professors never encourage such discussions. (source: SIHE)
9. 17.6% of students list "none" as their religious preference, the highest percentage in history. (source: HERI)
10. "Americans in their twenties are significantly less likely than any other age group to attend church services, to donate to churches, to be absolutely committed to Christianity, to read the Bible, or to serve as a volunteer or lay leader in churches." (source)
11. "Only 3 out of 10 twentysomethings (31%) attend church in a typical week." (source)
12. According to the 2003 ACMR Report, Assembly of God churches report there are 245,912 adherents that are 18-24 years old that attend our church. This represents 9% of all AG adherents. By way of comparison, 18-24 year olds comprise 14% of the California state population (I can't find the equivalent national statistic). That means we're way underperforming with this age group.

Moral Life of Collegians

1. According to a July 2002 Zogby poll, 3 out of 4 college students report that their professors teach that morality is determined by individual and cultural differences (as opposed to universal moral principles to which we are all accountible).
2. 44.8% of freshmen report drinking beer. (source: HERI)

Colleges & Universities

1. There are 10,033,000 traditional (age 14-24) college students in America (as of 2002) (source: Census Bureau)

• There are 15,300,000 college students overall in the United States. (source: Digest of Education Statistics 2002)

Good Sources For Statistics

1. Subscribe to the Campus Ministry Update to keep abreast of emerging trends and recent statistics.
2. Always check the findings from the Higher Education Research Institute.
3. Also check the Spirituality in Higher Education project.
4. Also investigate Barna Research.
5. Check the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
6. Check the California Postsecondary Education Commission.