The Role of Religious and Spiritual Beliefs in the Academic Success of College Students

The college environment can be very demanding for students. Students are often challenged by many new experiences as they adjust to their new environment and learn to balance their academic responsibilities and social life. Previous research has examined two factors, religiosity and spirituality, that can contribute to the academic success of college students. The present study was conducted to examine the correlation between religiosity and spirituality and college students’ grade point averages (GPA) which was operationally defined to measure academic success. It was hypothesized that higher levels of religiosity and spirituality would correlate with higher GPAs. Participants were asked to complete three scales of measurement to assess their religious and spiritual behaviors, as well as a demographics survey. Results indicated a negative correlation between religiosity and spirituality and student GPAs. Future research should explore what factors influenced negative correlations between religiosity, spirituality and GPAs