Religion, College Grades, and Satisfaction among Students at Elite Colleges and Universities

Abstract

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen, a sample of nearly 3,924 students at 28 of the most selective college and universities in the United States, this paper tests hypotheses about religion, academic performance, and satisfaction at college. Two measures of religiosityattending religious services every week or more and a 1 to 10 scale of observance of one's religious traditions and customs-increase the amount of hours students report spending on academic work and extracurricular activities, as well as reduce the hours students report going to parties. Even when controlling for time spent partying, studying and in extracurricular activities, regular attendance at religious services increases academic achievement. Finally, students who attend religious services weekly and those who are more observant of their religious traditions also report being more satisfied at college.

The impact of religious behaviours on the health and well-being of emerging adults

“…Patterns of religious service attendance have been demonstrated to predict prevalence of lifetime psychiatric disorders including depression and alcohol dependence (Maselko & Buka, 2007). College students who attend religious services get better grades and report higher satisfaction with their college (Mooney, 2010). Students who practice meditation report lower amounts of stress (Oman, Shapiro, Thoresen, Plante, & Flinders, 2008).…”

Religious Participation and Educational Attainment: An Empirical Investigation

“…Several studies have shown that the religious students are braver and perform better academically (Mooney 2010, Jeynes, 2005, Jeynes, 2007. The studies generally find a positive impact of the religion on student success.…”

Predictors of academic procrastination and university life satisfaction among Turkish sport schools students

“…Zhai (2012) put forth the same arguments for student satisfaction. The variables related to the student satisfaction can be listed as students" characteristics (Mooney, 2010), institutional characteristics (Mavondo et al, 2004), gender, academic performance, grade level, services and facilities, attendance, social relations, and academic programs (Burbach et al, 2010).…”