New guides by the Cardinal Newman Society provide guidance for Catholic families looking at higher education for their children as they seek out faithful Catholic colleges.

"For those students seeking a college education, I cannot recommend enough that they take a close look at the broad range of faithful colleges recommended in The Newman Guide," said Thomas Mead, executive vice president of the Newman Society and managing editor of the guide and magazine, in a press release.

"While strong Catholic campus ministries at secular colleges can minimize the well-documented and too often destructive secular influences at public colleges and universities, only at a faithful Catholic college will a student be able to find a truly Catholic education."

The Cardinal Newman Society is a non-profit organization aimed at promoting Catholic education. It publishes the "The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College" and "My Future, My Faith" magazine.

Together, the publications offer updated information on how to best choose a faithful Catholic college, as well as suggestions of 28 colleges, universities and online programs for families to consider as they make college choices.

"The Newman Guide" recommends 22 Catholic colleges and universities from around the country, as well as 4 English-language programs abroad and two online programs, for their strong Catholic identity and their outstanding academic experience for undergraduate students.

"My Future, My Faith," a magazine accompanying the guide, offers advice to parents and students on making the transition from high school to college student in a Catholic way. The magazine gives tips on making one's way through the financial and academic questions families may have as a child moves off to college, as well as on personal questions such as how to maintain one's faith in a campus setting and dating life.
 
All of the information is available for free online at The Cardinal Newman Society's website, as well as in their print editions of the guide and magazine.

In addition, the online versions of the guide and magazine provide additional information on the "academics, spiritual life, residence life and student activities," at the colleges covered, The Cardinal Newman Society explained in a press release.

The new online edition will contain news about each college, as well as photos, videos, social media links and a questionnaire for each college. The 100-question survey covers a variety of campus life topics, including college majors, campus clubs, Mass and confession times, and a number of other areas of student life.

"Because every Catholic college is unique, families need more than simple checklists or government-collected data to make decisions," explained Patrick J. Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society.

"Whereas most other guides rely on the same data, The Newman Guide digs deeper and draws upon our 20 years of promoting and defending faithful Catholic education," he added.

"I am excited to recommend the fine academic institutions in the 2014 edition of the Guide and to help parents and students put the college search into context with the articles in My Future, My Faith magazine, the ultimate roadmap for successfully carrying, and holding onto, the faith in college."