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