Most private independent schools in the United States collect data on their graduates, such as whether and where they attend college or how satisfied they were with their high school experience. And often graduates themselves will share stories about their school’s impact on their formation, which become treasured memories in the hearts of teachers as well as compelling accounts to put in front of prospective families. From these and other sources, educators know they make a difference in the lives of their students. But what do we know about the difference that certain types of schools—such as Protestant Christian schools—make as a whole? And can we gauge whether the Christian school sector delivers on the promises we make in our mission statements and portraits of a graduate?

Enter the Cardus Education Survey (CES), which was launched in 2011 and then repeated three more times in the US, as well as in Canada and Australia. This research marked a significant milestone for Christian education, offering a rigorous and detailed analysis of graduate outcomes that had previously been lacking and setting a new standard for insights into how faith-based schooling shapes lives. The data has been used by practitioners, policymakers, and thought leaders over the years in a variety of ways, such as in setting strategic improvement goals for a school, advocating for school choice at the state or national level, and even informing efforts to found a new educational association (CES data played an important role in the founding of CESA). As we unpack the 2024 findings for the Christian school sector, we will see how new data—specifically in the areas of graduates’ faith formation, academic preparation, and sense of belonging—can be used today.

About the CES

Before sharing the latest CES findings, it is important to identify how the CES is unique and why it sets a gold standard in measuring graduate outcomes. These differences can be categorized in terms of the who, what, and how of CES research, as follows.

1. Who Participates in the CES: The CES surveys over 2,000 graduates, aged 24 to 39, from five educational sectors—traditional public schools, Protestant Christian schools, Catholic schools, non-religious independent schools, and homeschooling—which represent the largest segments of the US educational landscape. This enables us to answer questions about how graduates from a specific sector fare compared to graduates of another. In addition, the CES uses a nationally representative sample obtained through the leading polling firm Ipsos Public Affairs. This means that the sample can be said to be truly representative of graduates from each sector, as opposed to other studies that only survey alumni who are readily accessible and choose to respond.
2. What the CES Measures: The CES looks beyond simple measures of educational success to analyze outcomes across academic, spiritual, cultural, civic, and relational domains. Across these domains, the CES asks about graduates’ perspectives, values, and life choices. New for 2023, the CES also included a series of questions on mental health and well-being. This holistic approach paints a vivid picture of what it means to flourish as an adult and reveals the unique contributions of each school sector to this flourishing.
3. How the CES Measures Outcomes: The CES uses rigorous controls to estimate sector-level differences, which means that data analysis screens out the impact of family background characteristics (including socioeconomic status, educational level, and religiosity of each graduate’s family of origin). Although no two graduates are ever identical, this methodology allows for a reasonable comparison of outcomes—meaning that if we took very similar students and put them in two different types of schools, we could reasonably say that the differences in their life outcomes are likely attributable to the type of school they attended.

In these three ways, the CES is markedly different from most survey instruments familiar to educational practitioners. These differences are precisely the reason why CES data is powerful and compelling, not only generally, but also relative to three key findings for the Christian school sector: consistency in faith formation; rising academic outcomes; and shortfalls in belonging and peer relationships.

Key Finding #1: Consistency in Faith Formation. The stability of faith-related outcomes over the years affirms the Christian school sector’s core mission.

Christian schools stand out most distinctly in their ability to foster faith formation. Since the first CES administration over a decade ago, graduates of Protestant Christian schools have consistently reported higher levels of religious engagement and spiritual vibrancy compared to their peers from other formal schooling sectors. This includes a strong belief in God and life after death, regular practices such as prayer, Bible reading, and church attendance, and a heightened sense of regularly experiencing God’s presence (all of these outcomes follow the same pattern as shown below). These outcomes highlight the unique role of Christian schools in nurturing deep and lasting spiritual convictions among their students.

Beyond personal faith, evidence suggests that Christian school graduates actively live out their values through civic contributions, particularly in charitable giving and volunteerism. These graduates are more likely to donate to charitable causes, regardless of income level, and are significantly more engaged in volunteer activities than their peers from other educational backgrounds (see figures below). These findings affirm the mission of Christian education in cultivating not only spiritual growth but also a commitment to service and generosity.

Key Finding #2: Rising Academic Outcomes. The increased focus on academic rigor in the sector is paying off, and Christian schools should continue striving for excellence.

Christian schools have long been associated with faith-based education, but the CES revealed significant growth in academic preparation since its first iteration. The new results from the CES show that graduates of Protestant Christian schools reported stronger preparation for college and career compared to their public school counterparts, and are earning bachelor’s degrees at slightly higher rates that these peers (see figures below).

This marks a notable shift since 2011 and reflects what many Christian school leaders have shared anecdotally—that the past decade has seen their schools working to increase academic rigor, with an integrative focus on both faith and excellence as hallmarks of a Christian education. While this news worth celebrating, the data show that the Protestant Christian school sector is still behind Catholic and non-religious independent schools when it comes to graduates’ assessment of their academic preparation and also in postsecondary degree attainment. This suggests there is still more work to do for those Christian schools that place an emphasis on academic excellence.

Key Finding #3: Shortfalls in Belonging and Peer Relationships. Addressing these areas will be key to improving students’ experiences in Christian schools.

In terms of overall well-being and mental health, graduates of Christian schools report similar levels of depression and anxiety as their peers in other sectors (with the exception of homeschool graduates, who experience lower rates). However, a lower sense of belonging and weaker peer relationships were reported by Christian school graduates compared to their public school counterparts (see figures below).

Despite Christian schools often emphasizing community, this data suggests a disconnect between the perception of a close-knit environment (which Christian school students reported at close to the same rate Catholic and nonreligious independent school graduates) and their actual experience of belonging.

The question of why Christian school graduates are less likely to feel like they belonged at their school, and why their view relationships with their peers less favorably, is an open one. It is easy to look first to the external environment for answers; for example, today’s 24 to 39-year-olds who responded to the CES would have been impacted during high school by the advent of smart phones, the rise of social media, and even declining enrollments in private schools. But these answers by themselves are insufficient, as students in other sectors would have experienced these same trends—without an accompanying dip in sense of belonging or quality of peer relationships. This suggests that there is something unique to the Christian school environment that contributed to that dip; therefore, arguably, these are areas that Christian schools may wish to target for improvement efforts.

Using CES Data

Christian school leaders, teachers, and families should be encouraged by the stability of faith formation outcomes and the growth in academic outcomes shown in the sector. These findings suggest that when schools diligently pay attention to outcomes (such as faith formation and improving academics), their faithful efforts will have an impact over the long term. So how can schools and leaders be encouraged to use the new CES data within their contexts and networks? Three suggestions follow.

1. Support for Educational Pluralism: Policymakers and advocates can leverage the CES findings to support school choice initiatives and other legislative efforts. The data clearly demonstrates that Christian schools contribute to the common good by producing graduates who are academically prepared, civically engaged, and spiritually grounded. The US needs a thriving, diverse educational system, where families have access to high-quality options for schooling.
2. Articulate Return on Investment (ROI): For school leaders, the CES data provides powerful evidence to support enrollment and retention efforts. Highlighting strengths in academic preparation and faith formation can assure both current and prospective parents that Christian education offers both immediate and long-term value. Particularly given post-pandemic enrollment growth, families who are new to Christian education can benefit from knowing and understanding this data. Furthermore, amid teacher shortages in every sector, these data points can be valuable in recruiting mission-appropriate teachers who are seeking a meaningful career.
3. Focus on Community Building: The findings around belonging and peer relationships should prompt schools to reassess their approaches to building community. Strategies such as small groups, house systems, or mentorship programs may foster deeper connections among students. Schools should also create environments where students with diverse backgrounds feel genuinely included.

Readers are encouraged to download the 2024 findings and share with their teams. Ensuing discussions can be guided by prompts like, “What encouraged us about this data?” “What surprised us from the data?” and “How can we use these insights to grow and improve?” In answering these questions, Christian schools can work to ensure they deliver on their promises for students, families, and society writ large.

Dr. Lynn Swaner is the President, US at Cardus, a non-partisan think tank dedicated to clarifying and strengthening, through research and dialogue, the ways in which society’s institutions can work together for the common good. Dr. Swaner is the lead author of numerous scholarly articles as well as books, including Future Ready: Innovative Missions and Models in Christian Education (Cardus & ACSI, 2022) and Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision for Students, Educators, and Schools (Eerdmans, 2021). She holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University and a diploma in strategy and innovation from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.