5 Things You Need to Know About Christian School Graduates

Exploring what the data says about the long-term impact of Christian education.

What does the data say about the long-term impact of Christian education? What types of characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors do Christian school graduates possess? And where is there still room to grow?

This post concludes my seven-part series on the 2023 Cardus Education Survey. If you missed earlier entries, you can find them here:

Series Overview: Exploring the 2023 Cardus Education Survey

• Part 1 — Introduction to the Study

• Part 2 — What Students Remember: The Christian High School Experience

• Part 3 — Learning, Earning, and Serving: Long-Term Outcomes

• Part 4 — Shaping Citizens: Civic Formation

• Part 5 — Mental Health and Well-Being

• Part 6 — Faith and Family Formation

Now, let’s wrap up with five key things you need to know about Christian (Protestant) school graduates.

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1. Christian Schools Excel in Faith Formation

This is where the impact is clearest. Compared to public school peers, Christian school graduates are:

• 20% more likely to believe in God

• 24% more likely to believe in life after death

• 14% more likely to pray weekly

• 16% more likely to read Scripture weekly

• More likely to say parents should pass faith on to their children

These outcomes remain statistically significant even after adjusting for background.

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2. Their Priorities Are Purposeful—Not Material

While they don’t earn more or attain more degrees than public school peers, Christian graduates are less driven by money and more motivated by service and calling. They’re more likely to say:

• Work should help others directly

• Money isn’t a top personal value

• Marriage and family are more important than self-fulfillment

In other words, they’re generally not chasing prestige—they’re building lives centered on meaning.

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3. They Serve Quietly—and Generously

Christian graduates are not the most civically outspoken, but they’re deeply committed to service:

• They’re among the most generous givers—even with lower average incomes

• They’re more likely to volunteer than graduates from any other sector

• Much of their civic engagement happens through faith-based and local efforts, not politics or activism

The result is a quiet, consistent presence—living out the gospel more than broadcasting it.

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4. They Feel Spiritually Known—but Not Always Socially Connected

Christian school graduates report strong relationships with teachers and affirm their schools as close-knit communities. They feel spiritually prepared and supported.

But surprisingly, they’re slightly less likely than public school peers to say:

• “I felt like I belonged at my school”

• “I had strong relationships with other students”

This tension—between feeling spiritually supported but socially isolated—deserves serious attention. If we want to form students who experience community in Christ, we must take an honest look at the social environments of our schools.

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5. They Value Marriage Deeply, But Family Outcomes Vary

Christian graduates are:

• 14% more likely to say marriage is a “very important” personal value

• Slightly more likely to have ever been married

• Equally or slightly less likely to have children or adopt

This suggests that while Christian schools successfully promote biblical views of marriage, other cultural and economic forces likely shape how students live them out.

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Final Reflections

The Cardus data gives us much to celebrate—and much to consider.

Christian schools are accomplishing their mission: forming graduates with lasting faith, servant-hearted values, and a desire to build homes and communities that honor Christ.

But this doesn’t happen by accident. And it doesn’t stop at graduation.

We must keep asking:

• Are we helping students become whole people—not just high performers?

• Are our schools shaping both belief and belonging?

• And are we preparing students not just to survive the culture—but to bless it?

Let’s keep building schools that shape students with conviction, compassion, and a Christ-centered worldview—one that’s not only taught, but lived.