More Gen Z students are turning toward Catholicism, with prestigious Stanford University offering one of the clearest examples of the trend. Known for its computer science and engineering programs and for producing companies such as Google, Hewlett-Packard, Netflix, Nvidia and Yahoo, the university is now also gaining recognition for its growing interest in faith.
The university saw a sharp rise in young adults entering the Catholic Church, with 46 converts this Easter—more than triple the 14 recorded a year earlier and far above the campus Catholic community’s long-term average of about four adult baptisms annually.
Stanford is not alone in seeing increased interest. Data released by Catholic prayer app Hallow showed that participation in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults—the process through which adults prepare to enter the Catholic Church—increased by an average of 115% among participating U.S. college campuses from the 2024-25 school year to 2025-26.
Increases were also reported at universities including Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Southern California, Kansas State University and Texas A&M.
The increase comes as more Gen Z students across several U.S. universities explore Catholicism, with some first encountering the faith through YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms before attending Mass, studying Church teachings and eventually joining the Church.
At Stanford, Catholic leaders say the renewed interest is being driven by a mix of intellectual curiosity, traditional worship and a search for deeper meaning.
The increase is also visible in attendance. Around 600 Stanford students recently attended a Saturday Mass of the Holy Spirit, hundreds more than Catholic leaders at the university said they would have expected only a few years ago.
The trend is also evident in the Philippines. Recent research on Filipino Catholic Gen Zs found that young adherents remain strongly connected to their tradition, with high levels of active prayer, religious engagement (67.5%) and moral or humanistic alignment (96.1%).
