The article analyzes the causes and indicators of verbal self-assessment of religiosity of students, depending on their gender characteristics, opinions about the characteristics of believers and non-believers, about the role of religion in Russian society, the family role in religious practice formation. Methodological basis of research is the functional analysis and the theory of rational choice. It was empirically confirmed that verbal self-characteristics of own religiosity among the youth have no essential gender differences. In atomized society therapeutic function of faith comes to the forefront, which is not identical to the compensatory function, oriented to the afterlife retribution. Young people prefer instrumental value of belief as a way of survival and adaptation, but not the revival of “church collegiality” as characteristics of national mentality.