Contact: Adam Wilson, 703-367-0333, ext. 102

MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- A new independent report on college costs published by The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education--the research division of The Cardinal Newman Society--reveals that some of the most faithful Catholic colleges and universities in the United States also offer students significant cost savings.

The Center commissioned this report in response to the economic recession as a way of helping parents and students as they consider various options for colleges. The study compares the faithfully Catholic colleges recommended in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College: What to Look for and Where to Find with other Catholic colleges and other private colleges on issues such as tuition, institutional aid, student debt and overall affordability.

Among the study's key findings:

· Average tuition for students at the recommended faithful Catholic colleges is about $3,000 less than at other Catholic colleges and about $1,000 less than the average private college.

· The Newman Guide colleges provide students a larger portion of institutional aid (39%) than the average private college (29%).

· Students at the recommended Catholic colleges graduate with fewer loans and less debt--on average, about $2,000 less than at private colleges and $1,400 less than other Catholic colleges.

The study was conducted by Andrew Gillen, Ph.D., a leading expert on college affordability issues and the research director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. The study is available online at TheNewmanGuide.com.

"This study is welcome news to families sacrificing to find ways to pay for a meaningful Catholic college education for their sons and daughters," said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society.

"The Catholic colleges profiled in The Newman Guide were chosen for their quality education and for the priority that they place on Catholic identity in all aspects of campus life. In that sense we have always believed that the recommended colleges were 'best buys' for families based on fidelity to Catholic teachings, but with the publication of this affordability study we now know that they are also truly economic 'best buys' too," noted Joseph A. Esposito, editor of The Newman Guide and director of the Center.

"The combination of faithful Catholic education and lower costs should put Newman Guide colleges at the top of any family's list as they begin to make decisions on which college to attend in the fall."

In order to help families learn more about the Newman Guide's recommended faithful and affordable colleges, beginning today their campus profiles are available online for the first time at TheNewmanGuide.com.

The recommended Newman Guide colleges are Ave Maria University, Aquinas College (Tenn.), Belmont Abbey College, Benedictine College, The Catholic University of America, Christendom College, The College of Saint Thomas More (Texas), DeSales University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Holy Apostles College & Seminary, John Paul the Great Catholic University, Magdalen College, Mount St. Mary's University, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, St. Gregory's University, Southern Catholic College, Thomas Aquinas College, The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (N.H.), University of Dallas, University of St. Thomas (Texas), and Wyoming Catholic College.

The Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education's mission is to study Catholic colleges and universities in accordance with the guidelines of Ex corde Ecclesiae and in a manner faithful to the Holy Father and Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

Founded in 1993, The Cardinal Newman Society is dedicated to renewing and strengthening Catholic identity at America's 224 Catholic colleges and universities. The Society focuses its work on assisting students, alumni and school officials; urging fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church; and researching activities both on campus and in the classroom.