The Influence of Religion on a Young Woman’s College Decision

Setting the Stage 

Utah Women and Education Project researchers conducted in-depth research in 2010 to discover why more young women around the state were not attending and graduating from college. Findings suggest that religion, values, and overall culture do influence the decisions young women in Utah are making about attending college. Approximately 80.5% of the participants in this study were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), 13% had no religious preference, and 6.5% reported belonging to other religions. Because we received very little qualitative data from non-LDS participants, most of the results in this snapshot focus on findings from women in the LDS church. The following three open-ended questions proved to be central in determining religion’s impact on participants: 

1. What does your religion teach you about continuing your education after high school? Approximately 73.5% of the sample stated that their religion taught them that higher education is very important (55.1%) or moderatelyimportant (18.4%). 
2. What messages do you think are given from your top church leaders (e.g., Pope, Prophet) about women earning college degrees? 71% said that their top church leaders encouraged them to attend college. 
3. Do your local church leaders(e.g., youth leaders, minister, bishop, rabbi) talk to you about your education? If so, what do you think they are encouraging you to do with your educational and career choices? Although results are not as striking as the findings from the first two questions, the majority of young women in this sample did say that they were being encouraged (20.4%) or strongly encouraged (33.5%) to get a college education. It was primarily the less active LDS or non-religious participants who said local church leaders didnot encourage them to attend college or even discuss the subject.   

Factors and Religious Beliefs  

Researchers found factors associated with religious beliefs and how they influence a young woman’s decision to attend and graduate from college:  

• LDS participants generally believe that learning, knowledge, and higher education are important. They believe their religion supports women attending college, but many do not feel they need to graduate.  

• Many LDS women do not see the urgency in obtaining their college degrees; they believe that finishing them “someday” is fine. 
• Many LDS women cannot envision a life of integration. They cannot imagine being simultaneously married, having children, and continuing college (even one class at a time). Some believe that women need to “give up” or “sacrifice” college for their husbands/families. Several participants said it was their “duty” to drop out of school. 
• In the minds of many LDS participants, “going to college” gets lumped into the same category as “going to work.” If they believe they should not work, they also believe they should not attend college. 
• Marriage or the birth of the first child is the end of college for many young women.  

Key Takeaways 

Religious activity was one of the strongest statistical predictors of all the positive college variables in this study. This means that young women who were most active in their religions were also most likely to: 

•  Have parents who encouraged and/or supported them toward college 
•  Decide at a younger age they would attend college 
•  Have one or more leadership roles during high school 

•  Participate in more college preparation activities during high school 
•  Attend college longer and graduate 

Participants who were most likely to prepare for, attend, and graduate from college believed that a woman’s college education is strongly encouraged by all three religious variables:1) teachings of the LDS church,  2) top LDS leaders, and 3) local LDS leaders. However, of these three the most powerful statistical predictor of college preparation activities and decisions is encouragement from local church leaders—primarily LDS bishops and Young Women leaders. Young women who had group and one-on-one encouragement from at least one of their local leaders were significantly more likely to attend and graduate from college. There was an apparent disconnect between the importance participants said they place on getting an education to “be prepared” or to “have a job to fall back on” before marriage and then their ultimate decision not to attend and/or finish college. Education is the top priority for many until marriage, and then priorities quickly change. Some participants struggled with understanding why there is so much emphasis placed on education before marriage and then why they “must give it up” after they are married 

Conclusion 

For many young women in Utah, religion and values influence their decision to attend college, but many do not feel the need to graduate. As church leaders and influencers, it is essential that we discuss the value of a college education with young women as this will positively impact women in communities and in the state as a whole.  

To learn more about The Influence of Religion on a Young Woman’s College Decisions, read the snapshot.