I’ve seen the list, mostly of just the top ten, most and least religious colleges.
This is the list I saw:
1 Vassar College
2 Lewis & Clark College
3 Pomona College
4 Reed College
5 Bard College
6 Bennington College
7 Sarah Lawrence College
8 Skidmore College
9 Emerson College
10 Bard College at Simon’s Rock
Could anyone expand upon this list? I would assume there are general rules of thumb for those looking for a less-religious environment - like avoid the south - and that colleges toward the west are more likely to be freethinking.
In terms of environment, how are these colleges different from other non-sectarian colleges? (I might be naive because I’ve never been to a Southern college. I’m a nonreligious student at a Midwestern university with no religious affiliation, and I don’t think anyone would come here and say it’s too religious. Religion doesn’t seem to play a big role in the atmosphere, and I feel like that’s true at most colleges.)
I’m an atheist and I wouldn’t necessarily choose a school just because it’s one of the least religious in the country. So long as the student body respects your lack of faith and discussions don’t start with an assumption of a higher power, you’ll probably be fine. For instance, before I transferred to my current school, I attended Emory University, a Southern college, which not only has a large non religious population, but quite a few religious students of all varieties. The basic assumption was that you respected the other’s faith or lack there of, and they would respect yours. I found that I learned quite a bit from being exposed to the spectrum of beliefs, likely more so than if I had gone to one of the above schools. Additionally, being in an environment which isn’t simply an echo chamber of ridicule at the idea of a higher power is IMO quite refreshing.
In general, a non-religious person isn’t going to be bothered by religion at most schools, unless one is attending a school that is known for being highly religious. There are going to be substantial secular/non-religious/non-practicing populations at basically any university. I’m an atheist, and it’s never even been a factor in picking a school for me.
I am religious, but I wouldn’t want a religious school because there wouldn’t be one with an emphasis in my rather obscure sect of Christianity. It would be easier to go someplace with no religious emphasis because even though I am religious, it would be more annoying to be around people espousing and teaching from “incorrect” (IMO) theology.
There’s a difference between a religious school and a student body with a high percentage of religious students. Being non-religious, I avoided the former, but I don’t mind the latter. I find religion to be very interesting, and I enjoy learning about it. I’ve lived in the South ten or so years, and haven’t felt uncomfortable because of my lack of religion. I feel like part of going to college is appreciating other perspectives, and for me that means being able to learn about different religions, which includes Christianity, despite it often being the majority.
In general – and I’m ducking under a flame-retardant umbrella for this – the more educated the area the less religious it is. So, yes, you’re more likely to find less religion on the West Coast and in the Northeast. Obviously there are exceptions. That being said, unless it’s a religious school, college students in general are more tolerant and less strictly religious. The area outside the college matters too, though. Diversity and understanding other religions is nice and all of that, but if you’re an atheist, you’re more likely to be happy at UMass than at UAlabama.