How does Catholic campus life compare at ASU and Boston College?

The biggest practical difference is that Catholic life at Boston College is woven into the institution’s Jesuit identity and everyday campus culture, while at Arizona State it is centered in a distinct Newman Center community within a much larger, secular public university. Both schools offer accessible Mass, student fellowship, retreats, service, and ways to meet other Catholic students. At BC, Catholic tradition also shows up academically through the Core Curriculum’s theology and philosophy requirements and in the school’s emphasis on reflection, service, and Ignatian spirituality.

Boston College students can attend campus liturgies and nearby Mass at St. Ignatius Church, which sits beside campus, while Campus Ministry organizes retreats, faith-sharing groups, service programs, and spiritual direction. You will encounter students with many levels of religious involvement, but Catholic language, Jesuit values, and religious programming are visible across campus rather than confined to one organization.

At ASU, the All Saints Catholic Newman Center serves as the main hub for Catholic students, particularly on the Tempe campus. It provides Mass, confession, small groups, social events, retreats, service opportunities, and a more intentionally gathered community of students who choose to participate. That can create a close-knit Catholic circle, but Catholicism will not shape the broader ASU campus experience in the same consistent way it does at BC.

For a student seeking a strong Catholic community as part of the overall college environment, Boston College is the clearer match. ASU can still provide an active and supportive Catholic home, especially through the Newman Center, but it requires more initiative to make that community central to your college life.