Why the Newman Guide belongs on every Catholic family's college checklist

When you first begin to research colleges, the options are nothing short of overwhelming. There are more than 2,600 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S., and comparing curricula, cost, and campus experiences can be quite the challenge. Maybe you’re familiar with your state's public universities and a handful of reputable private institutions that friends or family have attended, but if you value a school that will support your efforts to live intentionally, follow Christ, and grow in virtue, start your search with the Newman Guide.

The Newman Guide is a directory of Catholic colleges that have demonstrated their faithfulness to the magisterium and their commitment to Catholic orthodoxy. These colleges apply for inclusion in the list and must demonstrate their Catholic identity through frequent availability of the sacraments, policies that align with Catholic teachings on sexuality and gender, and a curriculum informed by a Catholic worldview. The Newman Society is an independent organization, so its endorsement is not directly from a diocese or the Vatican. Nonetheless, the Newman Guide helps families differentiate between colleges that are Catholic in name only from those whose administration is committed to upholding the truths of Catholicism. The lengthy list of requirements that Newman Guide schools are vetted by is not merely a checklist; rather, it is about the necessary guardrails that allow their campus to be a place of human flourishing.

As you begin to research different campuses where you may spend these highly formative years of your life, the 25 colleges currently recommended by the Newman Society are a helpful place to start. Although the individual campus flavor and exact academic offerings vary between schools, a few common highlights shine through them all.

A campus that fosters true friendship

Launching into your adult life by leaving home for the first time can be daunting, and you certainly shouldn't go at it alone. College campuses around the country are plagued with loneliness and depression. Screen creep is pushing young people further and further apart, making real connections increasingly hard to come by. The Newman Guide recommended colleges aim to foster authentic Christian living and so provide a soft landing place for finding real community, lifelong friendship, and maybe even a future spouse.

A classroom aiming for freedom

Newman Guide–recommended colleges tend to lean heavily on a liberal arts curriculum, designed to help students become truly free. Curricula vary from a full seminar curriculum (like Thomas Aquinas College) to specialized art and design program (John Paul the Great Catholic University), or even a trade school (St Joseph the Worker). The common thread with these institutions is the view that education is a means of formation and the content learned in the classroom is not purely pragmatic, but rather, each class you take is an opportunity to engage with the truth that “sets you free” (John 8:32).

An experience of human formation, so you’re ready for anything

With fewer and fewer people getting jobs in the field of study in which they major, a college experience that emphasizes human formation is a true asset. The broad and rich liberal arts education, a robust close-knit campus life with opportunities for leadership and entrepreneurship, and the personal friendships that challenge you to grow, all help you prepare for whatever life may send your way after college. These four years are not only preparing you for a job, but more importantly, they are preparing you for the way you will live out your vocation. Virtue cannot be legislated by your college campus, but campus culture can play a colossal role in your own ability to make the daily choices that shape the person you will become.

Finding the right college fit takes time and research, but the Newman Guide gives you the perfect bite-sized place to start. Enrolling at a Newman Guide school might not be the right fit for everyone, nor is it the only way to remain faithful during the college years, but it is a helpful snapshot of college done right!

If you need a counter-cultural fit, you need a counter-cultural school!

The college search is fundamentally about finding a college that aligns with your career readiness goals, finances, and campus culture. If you are already committed to living in a counter-cultural way, the Newman Guide can point you toward like-minded communities. We aren’t meant to follow Christ in isolation, so true friendship for the journey can be priceless.