Using the 1992 NELS data set, this study assessed the effects of student religious commitment on the academic achievement of urban and other children. The results indicate that religiously committed urban children performed better on most academic measures than their less religious counterparts, even when controlling for SES, race, and gender. The same general pattern held for all the children in the sample as well. In addition, the effects for religiosity were usually greater for urban children than they were for nonurban children. Supplementary analyses indicated that there were no differences between Catholic and Protestant students, but there were differences between religious students of Christian faith versus students of other religious faiths. These results suggest that when researchers study the effects of religion on the academic achievement of children, the religious nature of the students should be considered. The significance of these results is discussed.
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