I recently visited CUA and really liked it! However I was wondering how it is for non-Catholic students? I am not religious and consider myself pretty liberal, what are most students like? Are students accepting of students with other religious affiliation or LGBT- affiliation? What are the students like in general?
I currently attend a Catholic high school so taking theology courses or having to attend a few masses isn’t a big deal for me, I’m asking more about the social aspect.
Thanks so much in advance, I appreciate any insight to help me decide!
Hi there! Catholicism does not have a suffocating presence here. I’m not really into religion either and the same goes for my friends. I think most of the students are probably Catholic in some way but the majority don’t shove it down your throat or advertise it. You can pretty easily avoid the religious stuff on your own. I think 99% of students are accepting and welcoming to differences in religious beliefs. No matter the college, there will always be people who are adamant that what they believe is the only truth. It’s very easy to avoid people like this at CUA. The only masses you have to go to are at the beginning of your freshman year and the end of your senior year. You can also choose to take theology classes that are not focused on Catholicism.
We recently created a club called CUAllies which is LGBT-focused. They have had a few events this year and all of them have had a large turnout. I think most students are accepting of this. I also think the majority of the student body is fairly normal, in a good way. Every college is going to have a few odd folks though. Really this is mostly the effort you put in, the people you spend time with, and what you make of it. Good luck with whatever you decide 