• Sutherland Institute has published a report on the participation of churches and other religious organizations in primary, secondary, and higher education, the third in a series on the societal contributions of religious organizations and people of faith.
• Religious schools created much of the infrastructure for education historically and continue to educate many students. They also make unique contributions, particularly in addressing concerns about the affordability, accessibility, and attainability of higher education.
• The report includes recommendations to states to protect the rights of religious schools to choose those who will represent them and to repeal discriminatory laws that exclude these schools from programs meant to promote educational opportunities.

​It can be difficult for people of different faiths or those who do not belong to any particular faith to understand and appreciate the beliefs and commitments of others. Complete understanding, though, does not preclude appreciation for the good that each does. This conviction has prompted Sutherland Institute to publish a series of reports on the contributions religious organizations and people of faith make to the societies in which they work.

Following prior publications on social services and constitutional freedoms, Sutherland has released a new report on religious contributions to education, particularly higher education.

The report describes that much of the framework and infrastructure for primary and secondary education in the United States was originally provided by religious organizations and religiously motivated schools. Religious education continues to play an important role at the primary and secondary levels, providing learning opportunities for a sizeable minority of students, which has grown since the pandemic. It also makes unique contributions to academic success, civic involvement, and even the formation of families.

The first colleges and universities in America were founded by religious organizations or for religious purposes. The Ivy League schools that still have such an important role in our nation had religious missions, some for centuries.

Beyond numbers, in the ecology of higher education, religious universities make a distinctive and critical contribution.

Research indicates that students at private religious colleges and universities experience significant benefits compared to peers in public or private secular schools. These range from greater involvement in extracurricular activities to healthier personal choices, more commitment to community service, and a greater likelihood of marriage.

Higher education in the United States faces some serious challenges: affordability for students and their families, accessibility to individuals whose family members are not college graduates, and, since many of those who enter college do not graduate, attainability of college degrees.

Religious colleges and universities are at the forefront of addressing these challenges. Many are pursuing innovative ways of addressing the challenges facing universities and their students, including work-study and scholarship programs to allow students to pay for college, cost-savings programs that decrease costs to students, and connectedness initiatives that help students stay in school.

A unique aspect of the publication is its discussion of religious schools’ promotion of tolerance. Given the climate of contention on many college campuses, evidence showing that religious schools promote tolerance, specifically in response to the rash of antisemitism in the United States, is particularly intriguing.

The report concludes with two policy recommendations. First, it encourages states to enact legislation that protects the right of religious schools to choose their own leaders, teachers, and other employees. Second, states should repeal current laws or abandon policies that exclude religious schools from otherwise applicable grants, scholarships, and similar programs.

Read the new paper here.