What the New NCR Study Reveals About Catholic College Students - And Why This Moment Matters for Campus Ministry

by Rosie Chinea Shawver, MDiv

Every few years, a piece of research emerges that confirms what campus ministers have long sensed in their daily work-and also challenges us to think in new ways about how we accompany young adults. The newly released National Catholic Reporter national study on Catholic college students is one of those moments.

With 401 students surveyed from across the United States, ages 18–23, this report offers a rare, data-rich window into the spiritual landscape of Catholic higher education. The findings cut through assumptions and stereotypes, showing a generation that is spiritually open, socially conscious, digitally immersed, politically diverse, and quietly yearning for belonging and purpose.

For those serving in campus ministry, this study is not just data-it is a roadmap. It reveals where the Holy Spirit may already be moving on our campuses and where students are asking-sometimes silently-for accompaniment, authenticity, and community.

Below is a deep dive into the most important findings and what they mean for your ministry, followed by a set of discussion questions you can use with your staff or student leaders.

1. Catholic Identity Still Matters Deeply to Students

One of the strongest-and most hopeful-findings of the study is that Catholic identity remains vibrant. Ninety-one percent of students say their Catholic beliefs and identity are important, and 82% consider themselves engaged with their faith. Many believe in God strongly, pray multiple times per week, and attend Mass with regularity.

This can surprise those who assume college life pulls young adults entirely away from religious practice. Instead, the data shows:

  • Students are spiritually curious and receptive.

  • They still trust the Church to speak into their lives.

  • They desire faith that is real, integrated, and connected to their daily struggles.

For campus ministers, this underscores an important truth: students are not leaving the Church as much as they are quietly waiting to be invited into something deeper. A personal invitation, a warm welcome at Mass, a simple check-in, or an open chair at a Bible study can make all the difference.

The seeds of faith are very much alive-the task now is cultivation.

2. Catholic Social Teaching Shapes Their Moral Imagination

Two-thirds of students say they’re familiar with Catholic social teaching (CST), and among those who are, 91% say CST influences how they think about political and social issues. Students were especially drawn to themes like:

  • Helping the poor and the sick

  • Caring for the environment

  • Protecting unborn life

  • Supporting immigrants

  • Addressing inequality

These responses show that CST is not merely theoretical-it’s forming students’ instincts and moral imagination. They see the Church’s social mission as alive, urgent, and deeply connected to human dignity.

This highlights a tremendous opening for campus ministry:

  • When ministries connect service to reflection, transformation follows.

  • When students see CST as “the church in action,” the faith becomes real.

  • When we show how life issues, justice issues, and dignity issues all belong together, students gain clarity and confidence.

CST is often the bridge between initial involvement and deeper discipleship. It evokes empathy, ignites purpose, and invites students into mission.

3. Students Are Politically Engaged-but Avoid Categories

The study reveals a generation deeply interested in politics but wary of scripted identities:

  • Two-thirds are engaged in U.S. politics.

  • Students are evenly split among liberal, conservative, and moderate labels.

  • Issues students care about most personally include cost of living, housing, mental health, and student debt.

  • The issues they view as “Catholic issues” include religion, abortion, community, immigration, and mental health.

  • Sixty percent say their Catholicism influences how they vote.

This complexity means young Catholics are not predictable voters, nor are they easily categorized. They’re seeking a way of thinking that doesn’t fit neatly into the current political landscape.

Campus ministers are uniquely positioned to:

  • Offer spaces of non-polarized, honest conversation.

  • Teach the lifelong skill of forming conscience, not just choosing sides.

  • Help students see the Church’s political vision as rooted in human dignity, not partisanship.

  • Encourage hope and civic engagement without vitriol.

This generation is eager for a politics that is principled, compassionate, and spiritually grounded.

4. Students Pay Attention to the Pope When They Feel Seen

Students who follow papal news-whether Pope Francis or Pope Leo-resonate with messages of:

  • Compassion

  • Inclusion

  • Social justice

  • Care for the marginalized

  • Humility in leadership

Even students who do not follow the Vatican closely are inspired by a Church that communicates mercy, belonging, and courage. Many noted that when papal messaging reflects “love for all” or “care for the poor,” it strengthens their faith and makes them feel closer to the Church.

For campus ministry, this reminds us:

  • Students long for a Church that mirrors Christ’s tenderness.

  • Hospitality is evangelization.

  • A culture of welcome is a culture of mission.

  • How we speak about others-particularly those on the margins-shapes students’ trust in the Church.

Students are drawn to communities that embody the Gospel in relationships, not just rhetoric.

5. Students Live in a Fast, Filtered Digital World-And It Shapes Everything

Perhaps one of the most striking findings is how students consume news and form opinions:

  • 56% get news from TikTok

  • 52% from Instagram

  • 45% from YouTube

  • Only 33% regularly read articles

  • 60% prefer video to reading

  • Many rely completely on whatever the algorithm chooses for them

  • Students prioritize accuracy but are heavily influenced by engagement and entertainment

This has profound implications:

  • Students' worldviews are shaped by rapid, emotionally charged content.

  • They often encounter news passively rather than seeking it out.

  • Opinions form quickly and are reinforced by digital echo chambers.

  • Students need reliable voices who can help them slow down, reflect, and discern.

For campus ministers, this means digital formation must be part of pastoral formation. Simple, consistent, compelling digital content-prayer prompts, testimonies, clarifying graphics, short videos-can meet students where they already are.

Presence is the new evangelization strategy.

6. Faith Flourishes When It Becomes “College Life,” Not an Add-On

When students are involved in the Church-Mass, service, Bible studies, FOCUS, social media-they overwhelmingly say these activities form part of their college life, not merely extracurricular involvement.

This reinforces a lesson campus ministers know intuitively:

Students stay where they belong.

Faith grows when:

  • Communities feel like home

  • Friendships anchor them

  • Leaders empower them

  • Ministries feel authentic, relational, and grounded in real life

  • Students can bring their whole selves-questions, wounds, hopes, struggles

Belonging precedes believing. Real relationships open the door to real conversion.

Conclusion: A Moment of Promise for the Church

This study offers a rare moment of clarity about what Catholic college students need: purposeful relationships, meaningful community, integrated formation, and a Church that embodies compassion and conviction. The data confirms that young adults are not lost-they are looking.

And campus ministers are standing at the threshold.

In classrooms, residence halls, late-night conversations, small-group gatherings, mission trips, liturgies, and quiet moments of accompaniment, the Church is being renewed every day on campuses across the country. These findings give us not only insight but encouragement: the seeds of faith are alive, the hunger is real, and the mission is urgent.

If we continue to create spaces of belonging, preach the Gospel with clarity and mercy, and form students to be leaders rooted in Christ, this generation will not simply inherit the Church-they will help transform it.

Discussion Questions for Staff or Student Leaders

1. Catholic Identity & Engagement

  • Where do we see students at our campus already demonstrating openness to faith?

  • How do we accompany students from “faith is important to me” to “I want to grow spiritually”?

  • Which practices (Mass, small groups, retreats, mentoring) seem to spark deeper engagement?

2. Catholic Social Teaching

  • How do we teach the full breadth of CST in ways students can actually live?

  • Where can we better connect service to spiritual reflection?

  • How can we help students see CST as a unified vision rather than isolated issues?

3. Political Formation & Polarization

  • How can our ministry hold space for political dialogue with charity and clarity?

  • What formation helps students understand conscience formation?

  • How do we support students when political tensions affect friendships or community life?

4. Papal Leadership & Church Perception

  • How do our ministry spaces communicate welcome?

  • Do students feel seen and valued when they enter our community?

  • What do students experience from us that reflects the best of Pope Francis’ and Pope Leo’s pastoral approaches?

5. Digital Culture & Media Literacy

  • Are we present where students are present online?

  • What digital habits can we model that help students seek truth over noise?

  • How can we integrate small, meaningful digital evangelization efforts consistently?

6. Community & Belonging

  • What makes our community feel like “home” for students?

  • What barriers might unintentionally keep newcomers out?

  • How can we better empower peer leaders to create a culture of invitation?

7. Strategic Action

  • Based on this study, what should we start, stop, or strengthen?

  • How will we measure growth in belonging, discipleship, and leadership?

  • What does this moment invite us to do differently?

Rosie Chinea Shawver