Catholic college?

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Laura_Elizabeth

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I am a high school junior and am starting to look for a college. I hope to stay in the Midwest and major in biology, but with a minor in theology or philosophy or both. I have attended public school all of my life, but have always wanted to attend a Catholic college, since I do love to study philosophy and theology (which I do in my spare time! Yes I am a nerd :D). I probably have an unrealistically high opinion of Catholic colleges, but from some stories my dad has told me of public school college life, I would also feel much safer in a Catholic college! I would also love to be able to learn more about my faith. However, a boy two years older than me from my church who is attending a Catholic college just came home from Easter break and has announced that he is “not into religion anymore.” This from someone at a Catholic college!

Does anyone have any advice on finding a good Catholic college where faith is taken seriously? Have any of you attended a Catholic college, or has someone you know? What did you think?
 
I attended Franciscan University of Steubenville. Excellent school, very authentically Catholic. I highly recommend it. My time there was invaluable to my spiritual life.
 
I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I can recommend many “Catholic” colleges that don’t teach the faith from the classroom, but you will still have more access than you will ever have to devotionals and the sacraments. If you want a college that will actually adhere to its Catholic faith as an institution… now that is a more difficult proposition.

I went to the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s university in central MN. The colleges themselves aren’t very Catholic, despite Saint John’s being run by the monks. But I had access to daily Mass (with the monks, I didn’t go to Mass with the nuns very long before I couldn’t stand it) Had access to the LOTH for evening prayer. But it would not be a place I would recommend for someone not strong in their faith. I would also advise that those who go stay away from campus ministry and the graduate theology program.

(There are obviously good secular reasons to attend these colleges, along with strong science/chemistry/biology programs combined with a liberal arts education, good community, beautiful setting, males and females living on separate campuses, etc.).
 
Christendom and Ave Maria would get high marks from me. Also, University of Dallas is a bit of an unsung college on these boards but everyone I know that attended there went in strong and came out as stronger Catholics. Those three would be my suggestions.
 
I visited University of Dallas and loved it. I went to Franciscan University of Steubenville for some conferences and loved it, too. I remember some friends and I got into trouble for invading and conquering the men’s bathroom. :cool: What?! There was no one in it, and there was a mile-long line for the women’s bathroom!

Anyway, I wouldn’t read too much into someone coming home from a Catholic college and (paraphrasing here) just not that into it anymore. Could be the college, but it could just be him. My guess is spiritual development at a Catholic college is similar to academics anywhere - you get out what you put in.
 
thenewmanguide.com/TheNewmanGuideHome/tabid/513/Default.aspx

This should be pretty much all you need. I wouldn’t look into other colleges besides these; you need to be really careful as many colleges have become very secularized such as USF, USD, DePaul, Georgetown, Xavier, etc… It’s become a bit easier to identify now with the list of Catholic colleges that were shown to be providing contraceptives to their faculty in their respective health plans (Xavier recently removed this provision after the scrutiny following the release of the list that went along with the HHS mandate). You should be able to get a pretty good feel from collegeprowler and the school’s website if Catholicism seems to be their number one priority.

Our Prayers are with you! God Bless!
 
I’m attending Benedictine College in Atchison, KS right now. Not many people ever mention it here on the boards (that I’ve seen), but I love it a lot. Very Catholic. It’s a small college (but growing), in a town of about 10,000, but it’s about a half hour from St. Joseph, MO and approx. an hour from Kansas City. Right along the MO River, so it’s very beautiful in the spring and summer.

I know money is an issue for a lot of people when considering/attending Catholic colleges, so keep that in mind. I know many people here who have science, theology, and philosophy majors (I know, you mentioned minors for those last two)…they are popular programs.

Best of luck in your college search!
 
thebookofesther said:
thenewmanguide.com/TheNewmanGuideHome/tabid/513/Default.aspx

This should be pretty much all you need. I wouldn’t look into other colleges besides these; you need to be really careful as many colleges have become very secularized such as USF, USD, DePaul, Georgetown, Xavier, etc… It’s become a bit easier to identify now with the list of Catholic colleges that were shown to be providing contraceptives to their faculty in their respective health plans (Xavier recently removed this provision after the scrutiny following the release of the list that went along with the HHS mandate). You should be able to get a pretty good feel from collegeprowler and the school’s website if Catholicism seems to be their number one priority.

Our Prayers are with you! God Bless!
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Pretty much what i was going to post, including that link!
 
It’s not in the Midwest, but it’s a great small Catholic university, and they offer lots of good scholarships, the University of St.Thomas in Houston. I’d say it’s very Catholic. It’s a small campus in the heart of the city, and the vibe on campus is fantastic, loads of volunteer and outreach opportunities. 9 hours of theology and 9 hours of philosophy are part of the core curriculum. I always saw lots of seminarians when I was on campus years ago, but the seminary is actually on another campus in the city. Also, as a bio major, you might have access to some great lab/internship/job opportunities in the Medical Center. My friend was a bio major at Rice and started working in the labs at Baylor College of Medicine when she was an undergrad.
 
That Newman list should be great. I’m just commenting to add support, especially for University of Dallas and Benedictine, both of which are more midwest than the other one I will support - Ave Maria University is great too in terms of adherence to Church teachings.

I have 2 siblings who graduated from Dallas and another one is going to in May…they all loved it. Of course they were involved with the same group of people but still, it is a great place.

And I would hope I support AMU - since I go there. 🙂
 
Laura_Elizabeth said:
I am a high school junior and am starting to look for a college. I hope to stay in the Midwest and major in biology, but with a minor in theology or philosophy or both. I have attended public school all of my life, but have always wanted to attend a Catholic college, since I do love to study philosophy and theology (which I do in my spare time! Yes I am a nerd :D). I probably have an unrealistically high opinion of Catholic colleges, but from some stories my dad has told me of public school college life, I would also feel much safer in a Catholic college! I would also love to be able to learn more about my faith. However, a boy two years older than me from my church who is attending a Catholic college just came home from Easter break and has announced that he is “not into religion anymore.” This from someone at a Catholic college!

Does anyone have any advice on finding a good Catholic college where faith is taken seriously? Have any of you attended a Catholic college, or has someone you know? What did you think?
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I have heard of Catholic colleges that are more liberal and the students come out having lost their faith.:mad: So I would definitely go with the good Catholic colleges that others here have suggested. My dear friend who is going to be a nun visited the Franciscan University in Steubenville and she said that it was very Catholic and the student are absolutely on fire for their faith!🙂
 
Someone offered a great link that should help you.

I graduated from FUS. It was a great experience for me and the type of environment I really needed at the time. It also put me into major debt. Thankfully life worked its way out and I was provided means to pay off my private student loan.

That said, my husband and I plan on encouraging our children to get the electives out of the way at a less expensive school, possibly even a vocational school if the credits will transfer. We then will encourage either transferring to a good Catholic school or a State school with a vibrant Newman association. Some schools have really poor Newman societies, but others have great ones. Sometimes the Newman society will offer its own classes in religion for actual credits.

So remember to know your options.
 
I agree with Xavier not being very Catholic… but I do love my Muskies! And I have learned some very good life lessons while here. [And I started at another “Catholic” school in Cincinnati–College of Mt. St. Joseph; and, while they aren’t overly Catholic now, the President is trying to implement more Catholicism into their program over the next few years].

I haven’t actually heard of a geniunely Catholic school, when it comes down to it. No one that I know of “enforces” the religious atmosphere of a Catholic School… I know of Baptist one that does (Cedarville University)…they require daily chapel and a paper must be written if one is missed.
 
Laura_Elizabeth said:
Does anyone have any advice on finding a good Catholic college where faith is taken seriously? Have any of you attended a Catholic college, or has someone you know? What did you think?
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I was very happy with my Catholic college. It is important to find a college that is authentically Catholic, but remember too that it is very common for young adults to leave the faith for a time (not saying this is good, just that it happens). Don’t assume that it was necessarily this particular college that made your friend decide he’s “not into it”. If you’re interested in this college, you need to find out about it for yourself. Also, when I was at college there was so much available in terms of spiritual life that many students did not take advantage of. Students have to seek out opportunities. Staying “into religion” doesn’t happen automatically because you attend a Catholic college, even a good one.

It was very much worth it for me. Use the good advice other posters have given you to find an authentically Catholic one, and don’t discount the one you have in mind because one person’s faith journey veered off track.
 
Thanks for all of your advice! I’m looking at the Newman link now, and it looks very helpful!
 
I attend Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, and I feel like I’m in the minority as a strong Catholic. The campus offers a lot of service opportunities for students, but very little in regards to strengthening your faith. A few friends and I are trying to change that, but until then, if you’re looking for a strong Catholic university, I’d recommend Franciscan or Benedictine. Those sound much more firm in their Catholic identity than this place.
 
Some have brought up the issue of cost. On the newman link is a link to the angelicum.net great books program and liberal studies program which is very cheap and a way that one may obtain an excellent core education while obtaining transfer credits.

Other ways of saving money is online, hybrid, or on-campus classes thru community colleges. Registration for the upcoming summer session is starting within the next couple months.

The third way is independent study, an almost complete list of colleges offering independent study may be found at the Dante’s List Online Catalog.

My reccomendations for this would be the:
University of Arkansas
University of Wyoming
University of Idaho
University of Texas
Louisiana State University

BYU too has a well-known program although a bit more expensive and I feel conflicted giving money to the Mormons.

The best way though is still through the CC’s. Most of these options are available to even those still in high school especially the first one.

I want to make one note on financial aid: unsubsidized loans compound on the first day! Interest on subsidized loans is deferred six months after graduation before compounding.
 
kristacecilia said:
I attended Franciscan University of Steubenville. Excellent school, very authentically Catholic. I highly recommend it. My time there was invaluable to my spiritual life.
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👍 I know a few people who are sending their kids there and they all give it very high marks for the Catholic culture it promotes among its students. I’m praying that I’ll be able to send my daughters there.
 
I didn’t attend a Catholic university, however, I did take some classes at Rockhurst in Kansas City while I was enrolled at UMKC. I liked the campus and I spent alot of time over there with religious activities since the university I attended didn’t even have a Neuman Center. I always felt welcome. (Safe is another story. Both schools are located on the edge of a pretty lawless area) Keep in mind, even if you do attend a non-Catholic school, you could still take your theology classes there. My university actually paid for me to take a religious class at Rockhurst that they didn’t offer, which was cool. However, if you find a Catholic school that offers all you need academically and is within your price range, even better!
 
bearkatjen said:
It’s not in the Midwest, but it’s a great small Catholic university, and they offer lots of good scholarships, the University of St.Thomas in Houston. I’d say it’s very Catholic. It’s a small campus in the heart of the city, and the vibe on campus is fantastic, loads of volunteer and outreach opportunities. 9 hours of theology and 9 hours of philosophy are part of the core curriculum. I always saw lots of seminarians when I was on campus years ago, but the seminary is actually on another campus in the city. Also, as a bio major, you might have access to some great lab/internship/job opportunities in the Medical Center. My friend was a bio major at Rice and started working in the labs at Baylor College of Medicine when she was an undergrad.
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My sponsors husband goes there and he really likes it. He got his bachelor’s there last year and is working on master’s now. I wanted to go there after high school and toured the campus (this was before I was Catholic) but couldn’t afford it.

Two of my friends (one was my sponsor) had an awesome teacher there marry them. I’ve been to an EF Mass in the school chapel there once. It’s a great school.
 
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