WASHINGTON -- College students involved in Catholic campus ministry programs are more likely years later to attend Mass frequently, be involved in various parish and religious activities and donate money to a parish or other church organization, according to a new study.

The study from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University also indicates college men active in campus ministry programs are more likely to consider the priesthood.

"The survey shows the importance of campus ministry activities in the day-to-day lives of Catholics," CARA researcher Paul Perl told the Catholic News Service. "We see that involvement on a college campus with church-related activities opens people up to a new level of commitment to their church."

CARA conducted telephone interviews with 1,203 college-educated Americans who identified themselves as Catholics. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Education commissioned the survey. The study found no distinct differences between those who attended Catholic colleges compared to those who went to non-Catholic schools, according to the Catholic News Service.

Among the survey's findings:

• Eighty-one percent of those who participated in campus ministry said they attend Mass at least a few times a month, compared to 62 percent of those who did not participate.
• Seventy-two percent of those who participated in campus ministry said they are at least "a little involved" in parish and other religious activities, compared to 54 percent of those who did not participate in campus ministry.
• Ninety-one percent of campus ministry participants compared to 76 percent of nonparticipants said they had donated to a Catholic parish or other Catholic organization during the last year.
• Among men who attended a Catholic college, 63 percent of campus ministry participants said they had considered becoming a priest or religious brother compared to 37 percent of nonparticipants.