San Antonio – September 08, 2026 -- Graduates of Catholic colleges and universities use artificial intelligence daily at a rate of 44%, eight percentage points higher than the 36% reported by graduates of secular institutions, according to the third Holistic Impact Report (HIR 3.0) commissioned by the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary's University in partnership with YouGov.
Catholic college graduates report stronger AI preparedness and daily use
The national study found 21% of Catholic college graduates report never using AI, versus 24% of secular college graduates. Thirty-three percent of Catholic college graduates said their institution at least moderately prepared them to use AI, compared with 23% of secular college graduates. Thirty-six percent of Catholic college graduates believe AI will deliver a significant or transformative societal benefit, versus 28% of their secular counterparts. The trend replicates findings first identified in HIR 2.0.
Meaningful work correlates with higher employment and income among Catholic college graduates
Seventy-five percent of Catholic college graduates view their career as a meaningful calling, compared with 66% of secular college graduates. Seventy-nine percent say their life's work aligns with their core values (versus 70%), and 71% credit their institution with helping them understand how their work serves others, compared with 56% for secular graduates. Employment rates stand at 73% for Catholic college graduates versus 67% for secular college graduates, while 52% report household incomes of $100,000 or more, compared with 47% of secular college graduates. Homeownership rates were comparable across both groups at 76%.
Three consecutive studies confirm consistent gaps in life meaning and community engagement
Across all three HIR iterations, 72% of Catholic college graduates report understanding their life's meaning, compared with 64% of secular college graduates. Sixty-four percent report fulfillment through community involvement (versus 55%), and 49% volunteered in the prior six months, compared with 42% of secular graduates. Catholic college graduates rated all seven moral considerations in the survey as more relevant to their ethical decision-making than secular college graduates did.
Professors and core curriculum drive the largest gaps between Catholic and secular graduates
For the first time, HIR 3.0 asked graduates which college experiences most shaped their post-graduation lives. Fifty-eight percent of Catholic college graduates cited professors as an important or very important influence, versus 44% of secular college graduates. Campus culture and community showed a similar gap (48% vs. 35%), as did the core curriculum (54% vs. 42%).
Jason King, Ph.D., Beirne Chair and Director of the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary's University, said the AI findings arrive alongside a stronger sense of meaning and purpose among graduates. St. Mary's University President Winston Erevelles, Ph.D., was among 21 presidents of Catholic colleges and universities who met privately with Pope Leo XIV in June, where the pope referenced his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas and the role of Catholic education in addressing technological change. King's forthcoming book, The Soul of Catholic Higher Education: Fostering Purpose, Identity and Community, applies the HIR findings to institutional strategy and is expected later this year.