Part 2 – What Students Remember: The Christian High School Experience

How faith formation, academic preparation, and social belonging intersect in Christian schools—according to the graduates themselves.

This post is the second in a seven-part series unpacking the 2023 Cardus Education Survey. If you missed Part I, you can read Introduction to the Study.

Series Overview: Exploring the 2023 Cardus Education Survey

• Introduction to the Study

• Perceptions of the High School Experience (this post)

• Educational Attainment and Employment Outcomes

• Civic Formation

• Mental Health and Well-being

• Faith and Family Formation

• Reflections, Areas for Growth, and Next Steps

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One of the benefits of the Cardus Education Survey is that it doesn’t just measure test scores or college placement. It asks: What kind of people are our schools forming? What do graduates remember years after they’ve left? How do they describe their high school experience—spiritually, relationally, academically?

When we look at responses from Christian school graduates (specifically, those who spent most of high school in Protestant schools), some patterns emerge that are both encouraging and worth further discussion.

Let’s take a look.

A clear strength: Faith that endures

The most resounding affirmation? Christian school graduates overwhelmingly agree their high school prepared them for a vibrant spiritual life. In fact, they were 29 to 37 percentage points more likely than their public school peers to say they were “very well” or “exceptionally well” prepared in this area.

This comes through clearly in Figure 2.6 of the report, which highlights sector differences in perceived spiritual preparation. Protestant school and Catholic school graduates stand out by a wide margin.

This reflects a key distinctive of Christian education: spiritual formation isn’t just added on—it’s embedded into the very fabric of school life. Whether through biblical worldview integration, mentoring, or rhythms of worship and discipleship, these students graduate with deep roots in their faith.

Strong preparation for real life

The data also shows that Christian school graduates felt well-equipped for life beyond high school, especially in three key areas:

• Academic success in college or other postsecondary education

• Career readiness

• Strong personal relationships

These outcomes are reflected in Figure 2.3 (preparation for postsecondary education) and Figure 2.4 (preparation for career success), where all private school graduates, both religious and non-religious, significantly outperform their public school peers.

Importantly, these outcomes remained strong even after controlling for demographic factors. This suggests that Christian schools aren’t just helping students believe the right things—they’re helping them in their educational and career aspirations.

A close-knit community—yet still seeking belonging

Now, here’s something that caught my attention.

Christian school graduates were significantly more likely than public school graduates to say their school was a close-knit community and that teachers genuinely cared. This is affirmed by Figure 2.8, where all private school graduates report strong agreement with the statement, “My school was a close-knit community.”

But when asked whether they felt they belonged or enjoyed being a student, Christian school graduates didn’t score as highly. In Figure 2.10 (“I felt like I belonged at my school”), Protestant school graduates trail their peers from Catholic and nonreligious independent schools.

A similar pattern appears in Figure 2.11 and Figure 2.13, which show that Protestant graduates are no more likely than public school peers to say they enjoyed being a student (2.11) or felt favorably about their relationships with other students (2.13).

This raises an important point: a warm, tight-knit culture among adults doesn’t always translate to a felt sense of belonging among students. Relationships with teachers matter deeply—but so do peer relationships, joy in learning, along with an inviting school culture.

Belonging isn’t fluff. It’s certainly the “felt” experience of high school. If we want students to thrive, they need to feel known—not just by their teachers, but by their community in the form of stronger peer relationships.

Christian education that forms the whole person

What we’re seeing in the 2023 CES is a story of great strength—and room to grow.

Christian schools are accomplishing what they’ve set out to do: forming graduates with faith that lasts, academic confidence, and a sense of purpose. But we also see an invitation to press deeper into relational formation—not just between students and faculty, but especially among students themselves.

Up next: Part 3 — Educational Attainment and Employment Outcomes.