A strong belief in a higher power may correspond to higher grades.
Students who see themselves as "very religious" are more likely to finish college and have higher academic achievement than those who are less religious, according to a recent UF study.
Ana Puig, the study's research director and affiliate UF faculty member in counselor education, said the findings do not mean that students must be very religious to do well in school, but those who do perform well usually have a strong religious dedication.
The federally funded study began 20 years ago as an analysis of data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study. The data is from a survey of 11,551 eighth-grade students in 1988 that asked lifestyle-related questions. The responses were then compared eight years after the same students graduated from high school.
Puig said other variables, such as socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, type of religion, prior academic achievement and parental involvement were also considered in the recent analysis of the data.
Muslim students were nearly four times as likely to attain a degree compared to "nonreligious" Muslims, she said.
Puig said that while this study is a controversial, it should affect how students, teachers and counselors interact.
"Of course, we are not saying that religion must be included in the school structure, but when children raise an issue of religion, it is important to listen to what they have to say and provide encouragement instead of dancing around the issue or avoiding it all together," she said.
Lauren Hughes, a community group leader for Campus Crusade for Christ and a UF classics junior, said she can understand why students who are not very religious may have difficulty earning their bachelor's degree.
"People who are religious probably have a better chance of completing four years of college than those who get caught up in a partying scene and may end up failing out," Hughes said.
