Religion-affiliated colleges?

LasMa
Sun, 02 Oct 2011 05:55:48 +0000

OP, go to the Christian Colleges forum. Most of the schools that get talked about there are evangelical Christian colleges, where it is expected that students are active in their Christian faith. Jewish colleges are going to be very focused on Jewish students; same for BYU and Mormon students.

For any college, you can go to its website and look for clues. If you find any of the following, you’re going to be an uncomfortable Muslim there:

*Mission statement that mentions anything religious
*Statement of faith
*Bible quotations anywhere on the site
*Office of Missions or Outreach
*Requirement that students attend Chapel or Devotions

But there are other church-affiliated colleges which welcome students of all faiths. These schools were generally established by a religious order, and maintain some relationship with it. There are explicit opportunities for students to practice their faith, but there’s no pressure to do so. Students of other faiths are not looked down on, or viewed as second-class citizens. These colleges consider themselves to be academic institutions, not religious ones.

Maybe the most famous of these schools is Notre Dame. Then there are the 28 Jesuit colleges, some of them very good indeed [Member Institutions](http://www.ajcunet.edu/Member-Institutions). The Quaker colleges are known for embracing diversity [Quaker-originated Colleges and Universities](Quaker-originated Colleges and Universities). Macalaster College, a well-respected LAC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian church.