Best HBCUs for LGBTQ+ Students
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have always provided a safe and affirming space for Black students. HBCUs instill cultural pride. They also shield students from having to navigate racism at predominantly white institutions.
At HBCUs, students aspire to be themselves and join an inclusive and welcoming culture.
LGBTQ+ students at HBCUs need a supportive environment as they navigate multiple forms of discrimination — racism, homophobia, and transphobia.
While LGBTQ+ inclusion at all colleges, including HBCUs, has a long way to go, many of these institutions are committed to expanding services and support for LGBTQ+ students.
What Makes an HBCU LGBTQ+-Inclusive?
Regardless of the institution you choose, there are key factors that indicate whether a college is inclusive of LGBTQ+ students.
For LGBTQ+ HBCU students, many of the challenges they face can be amplified. These include a lack of faculty and professionals who advocate for LGBTQ+ support on campus, college and housing affordability, and mental healthcare resources.
In partnership with Campus Pride, we have assessed HBCUs in the United States based on variables listed by the Campus Pride HBCU Clearinghouse (a Campus Pride HBCU Commission project), some of which include:
- Nondiscrimination statement inclusive of sexual orientation
- LGBTQ+ studies programs and course offerings
- Ally program and/or Safe Zone trainings
- Resource center/office responsible for LGBTQ+ student support services
Additionally, we incorporated our own rankings methodology, which evaluates schools based on academic outcomes and college affordability:
- 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.
Meet Campus Pride
Campus Pride is the premier national organization for college students seeking support and resources for LGBTQ+ issues on campus. Campus Pride offers a variety of resources for students to explore and understand their LGBTQ+ identity, as well as for allies and parents and family who seek to better support LGBTQ+ students in their lives.
Together with Campus Pride, we have curated the following list of HBCUs across the United States that are making significant strides in their support for LGBTQ+ students.
2023 Top LGBTQ+-Inclusive HBCUs
Howard University
Washington, DC- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$26,464
- Out-of-state$26,464
- In-State$32,248
- Out-of-state$32,248
- Retention Rate90%
- Acceptance Rate39%
- Students Enrolled10,859
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment33%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$2,982
- Out-of-state$14,590
- In-State$3,438
- Out-of-state$14,503
- Retention Rate66%
- Acceptance Rate79%
- Students Enrolled6,726
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment91%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$25,942
- Out-of-state$25,942
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate89%
- Acceptance Rate53%
- Students Enrolled2,207
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment100%
- AccreditationYes
Hampton University
- Hampton, VA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$26,198
- Out-of-state$26,198
- In-State$13,099
- Out-of-state$13,099
- Retention Rate72%
- Acceptance Rate36%
- Students Enrolled3,516
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment11%
- AccreditationYes
Winston-Salem State University
- Winston-Salem, NC
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$3,401
- Out-of-state$13,648
- In-State$3,872
- Out-of-state$13,987
- Retention Rate77%
- Acceptance Rate73%
- Students Enrolled5,169
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment95%
- AccreditationYes
North Carolina Central University
- Durham, NC
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$3,728
- Out-of-state$16,435
- In-State$4,740
- Out-of-state$17,694
- Retention Rate78%
- Acceptance Rate87%
- Students Enrolled8,078
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment54%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$7,253
- Out-of-state$22,552
- In-State$5,096
- Out-of-state$14,316
- Retention Rate74%
- Acceptance Rate76%
- Students Enrolled9,248
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment95%
- AccreditationYes
Southern University and A&M College
- Baton Rouge, LA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$4,973
- Out-of-state$4,973
- In-State$5,336
- Out-of-state$5,336
- Retention Rate60%
- Acceptance Rate43%
- Students Enrolled6,917
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment72%
- AccreditationYes
Delaware State University
- Dover, DE
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$7,038
- Out-of-state$16,960
- In-State$5,160
- Out-of-state$11,376
- Retention Rate74%
- Acceptance Rate39%
- Students Enrolled4,739
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment65%
- AccreditationYes
Albany State University
- Albany, GA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$4,064
- Out-of-state$14,786
- In-State$3,438
- Out-of-state$13,716
- Retention Rate74%
- Acceptance Rate73%
- Students Enrolled6,509
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment64%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$5,647
- Out-of-state$16,338
- In-State$7,614
- Out-of-state$12,762
- Retention Rate77%
- Acceptance Rate81%
- Students Enrolled6,250
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment99%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$27,038
- Out-of-state$27,038
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate86%
- Acceptance Rate77%
- Students Enrolled2,152
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment100%
- AccreditationYes
Tennessee State University
- Nashville, TN
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$7,854
- Out-of-state$20,574
- In-State$9,276
- Out-of-state$19,752
- Retention Rate64%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled7,615
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment52%
- AccreditationYes
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
- Pine Bluff, AR
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$5,130
- Out-of-state$11,640
- In-State$5,184
- Out-of-state$11,760
- Retention Rate74%
- Acceptance Rate60%
- Students Enrolled2,668
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment87%
- AccreditationYes
Xavier University of Louisiana
- New Orleans, LA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$23,065
- Out-of-state$23,065
- In-State$9,718
- Out-of-state$9,718
- Retention Rate77%
- Acceptance Rate81%
- Students Enrolled3,383
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment91%
- AccreditationYes
Norfolk State University
- Norfolk, VA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$5,752
- Out-of-state$16,920
- In-State$8,820
- Out-of-state$20,872
- Retention Rate68%
- Acceptance Rate91%
- Students Enrolled5,457
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment87%
- AccreditationYes
Savannah State University
- Savannah, GA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$4,064
- Out-of-state$14,786
- In-State$3,588
- Out-of-state$13,068
- Retention Rate69%
- Acceptance Rate46%
- Students Enrolled3,488
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment86%
- AccreditationYes
Morgan State University
- Baltimore, MD
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$5,477
- Out-of-state$18,100
- In-State$8,190
- Out-of-state$16,092
- Retention Rate74%
- Acceptance Rate74%
- Students Enrolled7,634
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment52%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$5,292
- Out-of-state$12,144
- In-State$9,234
- Out-of-state$17,748
- Retention Rate71%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled3,725
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment22%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$4,648
- Out-of-state$11,045
- In-State$6,192
- Out-of-state$11,394
- Retention Rate65%
- Acceptance Rate40%
- Students Enrolled2,348
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment53%
- AccreditationYes
Morehouse School of Medicine
- Atlanta, GA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- In-State$21,751
- Out-of-state$21,751
- Retention RateN/A
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled665
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment4%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$7,488
- Out-of-state$14,352
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate60%
- Acceptance Rate90%
- Students Enrolled1,243
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment82%
- AccreditationYes
Clark Atlanta University
- Atlanta, GA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$18,990
- Out-of-state$18,990
- In-State$14,814
- Out-of-state$14,814
- Retention Rate63%
- Acceptance Rate59%
- Students Enrolled3,776
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment100%
- AccreditationYes
Le Moyne-Owen College
- Memphis, TN
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$10,776
- Out-of-state$10,776
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate48%
- Acceptance Rate64%
- Students Enrolled654
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online EnrollmentN/A
- AccreditationYes
Claflin University
- Orangeburg, SC
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$16,476
- Out-of-state$16,476
- In-State$11,653
- Out-of-state$11,653
- Retention Rate70%
- Acceptance Rate65%
- Students Enrolled2,048
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment10%
- AccreditationYes
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