From Abilene Christian University in Texas to Zion Bible College in Massachusetts: For this survey, First Things began by collecting information on 2063 college and universities in America.

It was mounds and mounds of material, starting with previously published college guides, information the schools make publicly available, and government-collected data on attendance, graduation rates, etc. We followed up with our own student polling and systematic conversations with students, graduates, faculty, and chaplains—and followed up with our most trusted resource: the subjective judgment of the extended network of First Things friends and colleagues who teach at many of these schools.

After generating our lists we wrote up these descriptions of more than a hundred schools, representing different ranges and types of schools, to cast a light on the place of religion—or lack thereof—on American college campuses today.