Although increased religious participation is generally associated with better educational outcomes, affiliation with conservative Protestant and Pentecostal groups is sometimes associated with lower educational attainment and STEM participation. However, few studies have explored whether these relationships persist among Latinos. This gap is important because Latinos are one of the nation’s fastest growing groups, and they have high levels of religious adherence and low levels of educational attainment compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Moreover, Latinos are increasingly shifting towards conservative Protestant and Pentecostal traditions. This dissertation project uses quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the following questions: (1) What are the behaviors and attitudes toward higher education and science among Latinos in different religious traditions? 2) What is the relationship between Latino youth’s religious affiliation and their college and STEM pathways, and how does this relationship differ across different Christian traditions (e.g., Pentecostal, evangelical, and Catholic)? 3) How do Latino faith leaders influence the college-going behaviors and STEM achievement of Latino youth? This dissertation uses administrative data from a large, majority Latino, urban school district to examine the association between religious affiliation and Latino students’ advanced course-taking patterns, including advanced STEM courses, and college enrollment. Using three case studies of Latino congregations in Houston (Pentecostal, evangelical and Catholic—the three most dominant traditions among Latinos), this dissertation further explores whether and how contextual religious dynamics (e.g., clergy messages) shape the narratives and college enrollment behavior of Latino youth.

Findings from the dissertation span across three empirical chapters. In Chapter 2, I explore how religious participation in Latino congregations enables or constrains Latino college choices. I find that Latino young adults consider “church as family” and make decisions about whether and where to attend college based on a college’s proximity to their church ties. In Chapter 3, I examine to what extent Latino students’ religious affiliation predicts their college-level course-taking and enrollment patterns. Results indicate that Latino Pentecostals and evangelicals take fewer college-level courses compared to Latino students with no religious affiliation. Results also indicate that compared to Latino students with no religious affiliation, Latino Pentecostal, evangelical and Catholic students have significantly higher odds of immediately enrolling in any college, and Latino evangelicals and Catholics have significantly higher odds of immediately enrolling in four-year colleges. Chapter 4 uses a multiple methods approach 1) to examine the relationship between Latino religious affiliation and STEM college-level course-taking patterns and 2) to explore the specific mechanisms (e.g., clergy messages) operating within Latino congregations that shape Latino STEM achievement. Findings from this chapter reveal that compared to Latino students with no religious affiliation, Latino Pentecostal, evangelical and Catholic students take fewer STEM college-level courses. Semi-structured interviews indicate that low STEM participation across these religious traditions may be tied to low congregational engagement with science and other perceived barriers. Ultimately, this dissertation explores an under-examined dimension in the education literature that could enable or constrain higher education attainment and STEM achievement among Latino youth.