A large majority of today's college students describe themselves as spiritual beings (77 percent), place a high value on "integrating spirituality" into their lives (58 percent), and pray on a regular basis (77 percent). Fifty-five percent were satisfied with the "opportunities for religious/spiritual development" provided by their college experience. These are some of the provocative findings of a new study of college students' spiritual development conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles' Higher Education Research Institute (HERI). The results of this first of a planned series of studies are derived from a sample of 3,680 undergraduates attending 46 colleges and universities across the country. Each respondent completed a specially designed follow up questionnaire in the spring of 2003 (during their junior year in college), as well as an extensive survey when they first entered college as freshman three years earlier in the fall of 2000. Further longitudinal studies are planned to study the trends, patterns, and principles of spirituality and religiousness among college students, and how the college experience influences spiritual development.

FINDINGS

Spiritual/Religious Commitment, Engagement, and Development

• Fifty-eight percent of respondents report that "integrating spirituality in my life" is "very important" or "essential."
• Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed report that they pray and 70 percent attended religious services in the past year.
• Seventy-eight percent of respondents discuss religion/spirituality with their friends and 73 percent say their spiritual/religious beliefs have helped them develop their identities.
• Sixty-five percent of college students reported that they question their religious and/or spiritual beliefs at least occasionally.
  

Religion and Spirituality in the College Experience

• A majority of those surveyed (55 percent) were satisfied with "opportunities for religious/spiritual development" provided by their college experience.
• Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed say their religious/spiritual beliefs have been strengthened by "new ideas encountered" in their college classes, while 53 percent report their classroom experiences had no impact.
• The number of students who report attending religious services dropped by 23 percent (52 percent to 29 percent) from when they entered college to their junior year.
  

Tolerance and Skepticism

• A large majority (88 percent) of college students surveyed agree that non-religious people can lead lives that are just as moral as those of religious people.
• Seventy percent agree that most people can grow spiritually without being religious.
• Only about one in five students evidences a high degree of religious/spiritual skepticism. Nineteen percent agree that the universe arose by chance and 24 percent report that they have "never felt a sense of sacredness."
• Spirituality is positively associated with a high degree of social activism, charitable involvement, optimism, empathy, commitment to promoting racial understanding, and growth in tolerance during college.
  

DID YOU KNOW?

• Seventy-one percent of students find religion to be personally helpful.

• Fifty-one percent of students believe in the "sacredness of life."

• Seventy-four percent of students rate themselves at least "above average" in levels of compassion and kindness.

• Eighty-six percent of students rate "attaining wisdom" as an "essential" or "very important" goal in life.

• Seventy-six percent of students have "struggled to understand evil, suffering, and death" at least occasionally.

• Nine percent of college students report that their "religiousness" is "much stronger" since entering college.