University of Texas researchers found that college attendance appears to prevent young adults from losing their religion, contrary to common assumptions that students leave the church or their faith during their college years. Surprisingly the research discovered those who never attended college have the highest rates of decline in church attendance (76.2%), diminished importance placed on religion (23.7%), and disaffiliation from religion (20.3%). Students who earned at least a bachelor's degree, had the lowest rates on those factors with 59.2% indicating decreased church attendance and 15% placing less importance on religion and disaffiliating from religion. 62% of Evangelical Protestant young adults attend a religious service less often than they did as adolescents, but just 19% indicate a decline in the importance of religion and 16% disaffiliate from religion. Only religious participation suffers substantial declines in young adulthood, researchers noted. 82% of college students maintain at least a static level of personal religiosity in early adulthood and 86% retain their religious affiliation. So, are colleges really a breeding ground for vital religious practice and teaching?