Two of the older colleges included in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College: What To Look For and Where to Find It have announced that they have record enrollment numbers for the 2007-08 academic year.

Franciscan University of Steubenville, founded in 1946, eclipsed its 2005 figure, and Benedictine College this year has its largest number of students since it merged in 1971.

Another Guide college, Christendom College, achieved its own plateau, receiving the highest number of applications in its 30-year history for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Among other gainers were colleges that have opened in the 21st century.

John Paul the Great Catholic University, which enrolled its first students last academic year, more than doubled its enrollment this fall; Ave Maria University, founded in 2003, saw a more than 60 percent enrollment increase last month; and Southern Catholic College, which opened its doors in 2005, has had a 60 percent and 50 percent increase in students over the past two years.

These figures, along with additional growth at other Newman Guide colleges demonstrate that the interest in faithful Catholic higher education is booming.