October 20, 2025
Now in its second year, the Holistic Impact Report (HIR) shows graduates of Catholic colleges lead in purpose and belonging and report higher levels of mental health, financial stability and dialogue across differences.
Grounded in the conviction that education is about shaping whole lives, the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary’s University, in partnership with YouGov, has released the results of the second year of its Holistic Impact Report (HIR). This national study examines how Catholic colleges form students for purpose, community and integrity in a time when higher education often struggles to define its deeper aims.
“Higher education has been disrupted by political battles and financial pressures,” said Jason King, Ph.D., Beirne Director and Chair of the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary’s University. “Catholic higher education does not appear to be caught in those tides. With two years of data, we can see that it continues to form graduates for meaningful lives, community engagement and ethical decision-making. And, because of this focus, it also supports graduates’ mental, financial and social well-being.”
New findings: Catholic higher education extends to finances, intellectual engagement and well-being
This year’s report adds new areas of focus, revealing that Catholic education’s development of meaningful lives, community engagement and ethical decision-making extends to emotional, intellectual and financial dimensions of life.
- Career and financial well-being: Catholic education’s focus on purpose and service does not come at the expense of financial success.
- Catholic university graduates were 7% more likely to view their careers as meaningful callings.
- Notably, 62% of them were represented in households with an income of $100,000 or more (compared with 52% of secular graduates).
- 61% reported homeownership (compared with 57% among secular college graduates).
- Belonging and mental health: Catholic college graduates were 14% more likely to report a strong sense of belonging and 17% more likely to say they are satisfied with their mental health. These results highlight what many campuses struggle to achieve, such as fostering a community that integrates care for the person with intellectual and spiritual growth. Catholic institutions appear to be doing this in ways that leave a lasting mark on graduates’ sense of well-being and connection.
- Faith and diverse viewpoints: Catholic college graduates were 52% more likely to say their curriculum encouraged faith-based discussions. Even more striking, they were 12% more likely to say their courses encouraged dialogue across differing perspectives. In an era of polarization, Catholic colleges stand out not for dogmatism but for cultivating openness rooted in faith and respect.
“When education is oriented toward meaning, service and ethics, graduates are not merely preparing for jobs, they are preparing for life,” King said. “That kind of education explains why Catholic university graduates don’t just do well in life’s practical realities but also thrive in spiritual aspects.”
Building on 2024 key findings
The 2025 study builds on last year’s HIR study’s major findings: Catholic university graduates continue to outpace their peers in measures of meaning, volunteering and ethical decision-making. Compared with graduates of secular institutions, Catholic college graduates are:
- 7% more likely to say their life is close to ideal
- 20% more likely to have volunteered in the last six months
- 22% more likely to say morality is “extremely relevant” in their decision-making
These differences have held steady or widened since 2024, underscoring that the formative strengths of Catholic higher education, such as purpose, moral reflection and service, are not only consistent but growing stronger over time.
“When education is oriented toward meaning, service and ethics, graduates are not merely preparing for jobs, they are preparing for life. That kind of education explains why Catholic university graduates don’t just do well in life’s practical realities but also thrive in spiritual aspects.”
— Jason King, Ph.D.
To ensure a rigorous and objective analysis, St. Mary’s University again partnered with YouGov, a globally recognized leader in social research. The 2025 survey included 1,000 graduates of Catholic colleges and 1,000 graduates of secular institutions, mirroring the 2024 design to facilitate year-over-year comparisons. Responses were weighted across gender, age, race, education level and political identity to reflect the national population of college graduates, using benchmarks from the U.S. Census and other federal datasets. This methodology provides reliable, balanced insight into how higher education shapes graduates’ sense of purpose, fulfillment, community, health, morality and professional life.
A model for higher education’s future
The results challenge higher education to recover its broader mission. While much of the national conversation reduces college to a financial investment, this research shows that Catholic institutions are cultivating something enduring — lives of direction paired with flourishing financial wellness.
“This study is an indication of the strength of the St. Mary’s University educational experience,” said Winston Erevelles, Ph.D., St. Mary’s President. “We know that Catholic higher education forms graduates who flourish in personal, professional and spiritual dimensions. They graduate with resilience, a sense of purpose and a commitment to community that the world urgently needs.”
The results from the 2024 study will be published in the Journal of Catholic Education (Fall 2025, Volume 28), under the title, More Than Money: Holistic Outcomes of Catholic Higher Education. The issue will be available in November 2025.