Dordt University alumni survey reveals enduring dedication to church attendance

A recent survey of Dordt University alumni revealed that 95% of participating alumni attend church on a weekly basis.

Dordt sends a survey to a third of its alumni annually, so “alumni are surveyed every three years,” says Kaysha Steiger, director of alumni and parent relations at Dordt. “We send out a postcard and two emails to the third of alumni we are surveying that year.” This year, the survey had 774 responses.

Included in the 35 questions of the survey, which aims to understand alumni's needs and track contact updates, is a recurring question about church attendance. This year, alumni’s continued commitment to church involvement was clear. In fact, according to Steiger, the data reflects a steady, slight rise in weekly church attendance in recent years, moving from “93.32% in 2023 to 93.69% in 2024, and reaching 95% in 2025."

The results of this survey reflect how, even after graduation, the spiritual foundation nurtured on campus continue to shape the lives of students. According to Todd Zuidema, the university’s director of church relations, Dordt offers several opportunities on campus for students to grow spiritually. “Dordt offers chapel on Wednesdays, prayer nights and praise and worship during weekday evenings, and student-led small groups that gather throughout the week,” says Zuidema.

However, he stresses that Dordt encourages students to look beyond the campus community for their worship and fellowship with believers. “We intentionally communicate to our students that Dordt is not your church. On Sundays, we strongly encourage our students to attend local congregations for worship,” he says.

“We want to create community on campus, but also, during their time here, we want them to engage with the churches in the greater community.” As a result of this emphasis, a survey conducted last fall revealed that 90% of students attend church regularly.

Sustaining that commitment is essential. As Zuidema reflects, “Our prayer at Dordt is that we will continue to play a key role in stewarding the education and development of believers in Jesus Christ who, after graduation, will return to the local church and become not only regularly worshipping members but will also be volunteers, key staff members, leaders, and perhaps even pastors.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.