The Best College for LGBTQ+ Students In Each State
According to the American Council of Education, identity development, campus climate, and policy remain the most critical components of support for LGBTQ+ students. Many colleges struggle to provide data-driven programs to support these students. However, some schools have made advances to provide targeted support for trans and nonbinary students, LGBTQ+ students, and LGBTQ+ students of color.
In partnership with Campus Pride, BestColleges has compiled a list of LGBTQ+-friendly colleges, highlighting the best colleges for LGBTQ+ students in several states.
What Is Campus Pride?
Campus Pride serves LGBTQ+ and allied student leaders and campus organizations in leadership development, support programs, and services to create safer, more inclusive, and LGBTQ+-friendly colleges and universities. It exists to develop, support, and give voice and action
in building future LGBTQ+ and ally student leaders.
Campus Pride Resources for LGBTQ+ College Students
- Campus Pride National Scholarship Database
- LGBTQ on Campus Online Trainings
- Effective LGBTQ Strategies for a Safer, More Welcoming Campus
- Transgender Membership in Fraternities and Sororities and Title IX
How Do We Rank LGBTQ+-Friendly Colleges in Each State?
In partnership with Campus Pride, BestColleges presents this list of the most LGBTQ+-friendly colleges in each state. In addition to the Campus Pride Index rating scale, BestColleges has included its own ranking methodology that emphasizes college affordability and important academic quality metrics, including admissions, enrollment, graduation, and accreditation:
- Academic Quality: To assess academic quality, we focus on what we believe are the most important distinguishing factors. We compare a school’s admission rate to its enrollment rate to gauge the rigor and competitiveness of a school. We use full-time retention rate (or, the rate at which students return after their freshman year) to rank a school’s effectiveness at keeping students enrolled. Similarly, graduation rate is crucial in weighing how many enrolled students successfully complete their degree program (note that graduation rate measures full-time, first-time students).
- College Affordability: Our affordability score considers the cost of college (average net price) with the amount borrowed (percentage of students taking loans) and the ability to repay a loan after graduation (average loan default rate). Our goal is to reward schools not only offering competitive tuition but also those that provide students with the skills needed to graduate and successfully enter the workforce.
Please note: A number of schools on this list are within states with standing and/or pending anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. While we acknowledge the resources and services offered to LGBTQ+ students at these schools, please consider state and local laws before making a decision to attend any of these schools.
It is important to note that the following list does not include states where no schools rank on the Campus Pride Index or states that do not have at least a four-star rating on the Campus Pride Index.
The Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ Students in Each State in 2022
State Resources for LGBTQ+ College Students
Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth By State
Lambda Legal is a nonprofit organization that provides legal advocacy for members of the LGBTQ+ community. This comprehensive list includes the organization’s wide range of online and in-person resources.
LGBTQ+ Youth Centers by State
This Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database lists more than 30 reports, pamphlets, and other publications aimed at LGBTQ+ youth, parents, teachers, school administrators, and allies.
Campus Pride LGBTQ Scholarship Database
This extensive collection of financial aid opportunities includes LGBTQ+ scholarships and grants of varying amounts. Many of these awards are reserved for certain academic majors or LGBTQ+ subgroups.
Meet Our Campus Pride Experts
Genny Beemyn is a leading expert on the experiences of trans people in the United States, particularly the lives of trans students, and on the development of trans-inclusive college policies and practices. They are the director of the Stonewall Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the Trans Policy Clearinghouse coordinator for Campus Pride.
Shane Windmeyer is a leading author on LGBTQ+ campus issues, national leader in LGBTQ+ civil rights, and a champion for LGBTQ+ issues on college campuses. He is co-founder and executive director of Campus Pride. Windmeyer is also the author of The Advocate College Guide for LGBTQ+ Students, the first-ever college guide profiling the “100 Best LGBTQ-Friendly Campuses.”
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