Best Colleges for LGBTQ Students Campus Pride Index

The Queer Resource Center is a seven college initiative that is dedicated to serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, omnisexual, pansexual and allied communities at the Claremont Colleges. The QRC houses a collection of over 1,200 LGBT-related books and movies, which can be checked out for free and used as textbooks for classes or research material for papers. The QRC's student staff members work hard every semester to hold a number of fantastic programs in addition to co-sponsoring many other events with various organizations on the campuses of each participating school.

The Queer, Questioning, and Allied Mentor Program is a resource that provides confidential mentors to LGBTQ students and allies of the queer community. They are trained to provide support and informed guidance on a variety of queer-related issues. Graduating LGBTQ students can also participate in the Lavender Graduation, an annual celebration that recognizes their scholarship and community contributions.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

The LGBT Equity Center at Maryland is committed to empowering social justice and offers a wide variety of resources for LGBTQ students. Students can join the Lavender Leadership Honor Society, an initiative that is advised by a student board which celebrates and develops leadership for LGBTQ social justice. Just like at other LGBTQ friendly colleges, students have access to a variety of specialized internships, scholarships, and awards. The LGBT Equity Center website has a complete list of all LGBTQ faculty and staff who are out about their gender identity or sexual orientation.

There is also the Rainbow Terrapin Network, a campus-wide network of staff, faculty, and students who are committed to inclusion for LGBTQ students. This group has a history of offering in-person trainings where participants learn the fundamentals of LGBTQ+ concepts and help determine ways to make the campus more equitable and inclusive for these communities.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

Williams College is one of the best colleges for LGBTQ students in the country. The school is a member of the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals and has received a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating from the Campus Pride Index. Williams boasts a diverse LGBTQ population, with members in the Black Student Union, the Muslim Student Union, the hockey team, and the dance department. There are also a variety of academic programs that celebrate LGBTQ issues in their curricula, including women's gender and sexuality studies and Latin@ studies.

The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) specifically emphasizes transgender advocacy and offers a variety of resources on its website, including a general FAQ page about transgender topics, a copy of the school's non-discrimination policy, and a resource guide about transitioning at Williams. The center is not just for women and the LGBTQ community; the GSRC celebrates all sexualities and consensual decisions on sex. As a result, the GSRC provides information on healthy sex practices, how to navigate online learning, and surviving sexual assault.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

UCLA is home to a spectacular array of over 20 LGBTQ student organizations that offer support and services to people from a variety of diverse backgrounds. The official UCLA LGBT Campus Resource Center provides a number of services for LGBTQ students including counseling, advocacy, electronic resources, library materials, and education. Unlike other LGBTQ colleges, undergraduates can pursue an LGBT studies interdisciplinary minor that consists of seven courses.

UCLA places special attention on the transgender community and includes medical and mental health services specifically for transgender students. The LGBT Campus Resource Center website also includes a map of every all-gender restroom on campus. There is also the LGBTQ Allyship Training program, which is designed to help participants gain a general awareness of LGBTQ identities, understand how inclusion can make the UCLA campus and the world a better place, and learn strategies for becoming an effective ally and advocate.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

The wide variety of student organizations at Cornell makes it one of the best colleges for LGBTQ students in the country. The school's LGBT Resource Center is home to more than a dozen student organizations, such as the HIV Support Group, ACE, OUTreach, Queer Straight Alliance, Queer and Asian, and more. There are also a few other specialized student organizations, like Athlete Ally, Ga'avah (for Jewish LGBTQ students), the Ithaca Trans Group.

Cornell also has a student resources page that has links to a variety of helpful sources, including Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, activism and outreach programs like the National LGBTQ Task Force, and other LGBTQ resources like the GLAAD.org and the Deaf Queer Resource Center. Cornell also has gender inclusive housing options for undergraduate students.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

SDSU was the second college in North America to offer an LGBT studies major. Students can also pursue an undergraduate minor or graduate certificate in LGBT studies. Like other LGBTQ friendly colleges, SDSU hosts a Lavender Graduation ceremony each year that is open to all students who identify as LGBTQ. The ceremony celebrates the achievements of LGBTQ students and also provides awards to faculty, staff, or administrators who have enhanced the campus climate for the queer community.

The Pride Center at SDSU was opened in the spring of 2014 and acts as a hub for the vibrant resources of the SDSU campus. LGBTQ students can join a variety of student organizations, including the Womyn's Outreach Association, SafeZones@SDSU, and the Queer Student Union. The Pride Center also provides links to the President's Advisory Committee on Equality, SDSU's chief diversity office, and a campus map that outlines all of the school's gender neutral restrooms.

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Macalester boasts a student-run Gender & Sexuality Resource Center that offers students the chance to get involved on personal and campus-wide issues. The center's goal is to fight oppression through strong modes of resistance through “transformative, and revolutionary meetings, discussions, and events." The school recognizes the importance of policies and practices that support transgender, genderqueer, and gender nonconforming students. As a result, the GSRC's website has links to a variety of resources that are useful for students who are exploring or affirming their gender identity.

Macalester is also home to the Allies Project, a project tasked with creating a group of staff, students, and faculty who are all committed to creating safer and more supportive environments for all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, or any other label. Like other LGBTQ colleges, Macalester has all-gender campus housing options and a variety of all-gender restrooms on its main campus.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

LGBTQ @ Columbia, which is run by the school's department of multicultural affairs, is responsible for ensuring that all student concerns related to LGBTQ issues are heard and acted upon. This organization provides students with LGBTQ student group advising, events, education, advocacy, and other services and resources that help students better understand LGBTQ topics. Students can join one of the school's many LGBTQ student groups, including the Columbia Queer Alliance, GendeRevolution, Proud Colors, Queer & Asian, and the Columbia Queer Business Society.

Most LGBTQ friendly colleges have special resources for transgender students, and Columbia is no exception. The school has a Trans @ Columbia page that includes information about the administration's "preferred name" policy, all-gender housing options, and physical and mental health services that are available on-campus. Every year, LGBTQ @ Columbia hosts a variety of events during October for Queer Awareness Month and in November for Trans Awareness Week.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

The Office of Student Life's Multicultural Center oversees a wide variety of LGBTQ initiatives that were created with the goal of inspiring reflective thought and increasing awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity. OSU is one of the best colleges for LGBTQ students in part because of the many events that the school hosts each year. Some events include Bi VisiBIlity week in September, Herstory Honoring Queer Women in March, and a OUT for Change retreat in February.

There are a number of Q*mmunity groups that are available for students to join. These Q*munnities focus on intersections between identities, community building, personal development, and leadership. Some of the most popular Q*munnities include CORE: Coming Out for Racial Equity as well as a variety of individual groups for different subsections of students, like first-year, spiritual, students of color, and LGBTQ students and allies.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

Minnesota's Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life is a one-stop shop for accessing information on the school's many LGBTQ education and training programs, resources, academic programs, and more. Students can join one of the school's many LGBTQ student organizations, groups, or departments, such as the Ally Trainings & Trainer Team, Bi/Pan/Fluid Inclusion Project, fACES, GeeQs, and many more. When it comes to academics, Minnesota offers a gender, women & sexuality studies program, as well as a minor in LGBT studies.

Each year, students can participate in the LGBTQIA Leadership Retreat Program. This retreat takes place over two days and provides undergraduates with the opportunity to build community while exploring intersecting identities and how they are oppressed. Like most LGBTQ friendly schools, Minnesota also offers a mentor program for LGBTQ students who want assistance with adjusting to the school's culture and navigating their gender identity or sexual orientation within a specific academic field or career path. This mentor program offers rolling admission.

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The Pride Center for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity at Lehigh provides links to resources for current and prospective LGBTQ students, as well as for parents, guardians, faculty, and staff. Most LGBTQ friendly colleges have a Safe Zone or similar training program, and Lehigh is no different. The school's LUally training program incorporates much of the same content that is included in Safe Zone, but it is supplemented by additional skills-based activities that are customized each time based on the audience.

The Pride Center also includes a page that provides resources to transgender, gender questioning, and gender nonconforming students. These resources include information about name and gender changes at the school, health and wellness resources that are available on-campus, all-gender housing options, and trans-friendly fraternities, sororities, and religious organizations. Lehigh is in the process of creating a Pride Center Library.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

Dartmouth's Office of Pluralism and Leadership offers a wide variety of LGBTQ resources for students, staff, and faculty. LGBTQ students have access to sexuality, women, and gender advising services, trans community resources, and more. The Office of Pluralism and Leadership hosts several events throughout the year that promote LGBTQ awareness. These events recognize LGBTQIA+ History Month, Transgender Awareness Week, V-February (Dartmouth's version of V-Day), and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Dartmouth is one of the best colleges for LGBTQ students in part because of its wide variety of specialized internships, professional organizations, and scholarships. There are also a wide variety of gender- and sexuality-related student groups, including Black Girls are Magic, the LGBTQIA+ Leadership Board, Men of Color Alliance, and Sexual Assault Peer Advocates. LGBTQ students who graduate from Dartmouth can join the school's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Alumni/ae Association.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

The Gender & LGBTQIA Center (GLC) advances educational programs, support, and advocacy for students, employees, and alumni at Elon. These initiatives are designed to create inclusive communities around gender, sexuality, and intersections of identity.The GLC website hosts information on a variety of LGBTQ-related events, ally trainings, gender-based violence prevention techniques, and identity weeks that occur throughout the year.

Elon is ranked as a top-25 LGBTQ-friendly campus by the Campus Pride Index. In fact, unlike other LGBTQ colleges, Elon includes a complete checklists of the criteria that they do and do not meet from the Campus Pride Index. LGBTQ students who graduate from Elon can join the school's LGBTQIA Alumni Network. This alumni network advocates on behalf of LGBTQIA alumni by building partnerships and promoting the school's commitment to an inclusive and respectful community.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

The Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) at Oberlin embraces diversity in all its forms. The MRC offers a variety of programs and support services for all underrepresented students, including over 300 events each year. There are two flagship programs at the MRC: My Name is My Own and the Indigenous Women's Series. My Name is My Own is tasked with providing institutional support to Oberlin communities that identify as queer and of color. The Indigenous Women's Series is a series of talks hosted each year by the MRC that raises awareness and support for indigenous issues in the school's curricula and within the campus community. There are also a number of student initiatives, including the Committee on Privilege and Oppression, the Oberlin Coalition for Immigrant Rights, and an experimental college course on anti-racist organizing and white privilege.

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LGBTQ+ @ Babson is the school's hub for all resources and information related to LGBTQ issues. Babson host and participate in a variety of annual LGBTQ-related events, including the Boston Pride Parade, Drag Pub Night, Lavender Graduation, National Coming Out Day, and Transgender Day of Remembrance. Students can register for Safe Zone and gender expansive training through the LGBTQ+ @ Babson website. Like other LGBTQ colleges, Babson earned a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating from the Campus Pride Index.

There are a number of cultural student organizations at Babson, including the Babson African Student Organization, Prism, Origins of Necessary Equality, Women Giving Back, and the Babson Islamic Organization. Students also have access to a wide variety of campus resources, such as the LGBTQ Action Group, Pride Alliance, OUT Network, LGBTQ Alumni Affinity Group, and more.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

The Center of Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities (SJE) at Rutgers is a member of the National Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals. The SJE provides educational and social programs, leadership development, and policy consultation for LGBTQ and ally students, as well as faculty, staff, and community members.

Rutgers boasts 12 different campus organizations and clubs that are dedicated to minority groups, people of various identities, and many different fields of study. Some of these organizations include Jewish Allies and Queers, Queer Student Alliance, Student Union of Mixed Race People, and LGBTQIA People of Color Union. Rutgers also has a section of their website dedicated to transgender and gender nonconforming students known as Trans@RU. Through Trans@RU, students can access a complete map of all single-use restrooms on campus, as well as information on all-gender housing options, campus healthcare, and how to legally change your name in New Jersey.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

The LGBTQ+ Culture Center at Indiana serves as a resource and information center for on-campus students and community members on the school's groups, events, and activities related to LGBTQ topics. Indiana is one of the best colleges for LGBTQ students because it goes to great lengths to create a safe campus for these students. To this end, the LGBTQ+ Culture Center offers multiple ally training sessions each year.

Indiana offers 11 separate LGBTQIA & Ally student groups as well as Sigma Phi Beta Fraternity and Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority for those who want to participate in Greek life. Some of these student groups include Gender Warriors, Keshet (for Jewish LGBTQ students and allies), Latinx Initiative, and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. LGBTQ students who graduate from Indiana can join the school's GLBT Alumni Association. Membership is free and all LGBTQ graduates are encouraged to join.

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The LGBTQIA Resource Center at UC Davis is a hub for LGBTQ resources, support, and events on-campus. Students at UC Davis can enroll in academic programs on sexuality studies or gender, sexuality, and women's studies. They can also join the Rainbow Community, which is open to members of the LGBTQ community and their allies. This community explores identity and regularly covers issues facing the LGBTQ community.

The school's Bi Visibility Project raises awareness around the nuances and politics of individuals who are bisexual, trisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, or other unlabeled sexualities and how they intersect with other identities. The LGBTQIA Resource Center also includes links to ally training programs, a list of staff and faculty members who are out, and places to report hate and bias incidents. Like other LGBTQ friendly colleges, UC Davis has a variety of gender-inclusive restrooms throughout its campus.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

Washington University's Campus Life website includes an LGBTQIA page that acts as a hub for events, resources, programs, and volunteer opportunities for the school's LGBTQ community. The website includes recommendations for reading materials, an online campus map of all gender-inclusive bathrooms, and a link to a guide for coming out as asexual.

There are a variety of LGBTQ student groups, including Pride Alliance, Connections, People like US, Transcending Gender, and WashU Ace & Aro. Student can also participate in Destination Q, a free two-day retreat for undergraduates who are engaged in the LGBTQ communities at Washington University. During this retreat, students explore leadership and identity while learning about the different experiences within the community. Washington University is truly one of the best colleges for LGBTQ students, as it is one of only a few schools to receive a 5 out of 5 stars from the Campus Climate Equality index.

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UC San Diego's LGBT Resource Center provides a visible presence on campus that enhances the school's sense of connection and community among LGBT students, faculty, and staff. UC San Diego is one of few LGBTQ colleges with its own dedicated technology center. The David Bohnett CyberCenter boasts eight state-of-the-art ThinkCentre computers, a laser printer, and a scanner. The LGBT Resource Center also has its own library that consists of more than 2,100 books, films, and journals.

The LGBT Resource Center website includes information on scholarships, on-campus housing, gender-neutral bathrooms, and study abroad resources. There is also an education section of the website that includes foundational information on LGBTQIA terminology, an overview of transgender and intersex identities, a primer on biphobia, and a useful hierarchy of oppressions. Students can sign up for the Rainbow Newsletter to receive regular updates on queer life at UC San Diego.

Learn more at Campus Pride.

Davidson offers a number of resources and networks for LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff. The college's LGBTQA Caucus are advocates on behalf of all LGBTQ memebers of the Davidson community. This group meets monthly and is composed of LGBTQ-identifying and allied staff and faculty. The LGBTQA Resource Library and Lounge, commonly known as the Lavender Lounge, contains about 200 books, films, documentaries, TV shows, and education materials from advocacy groups on LGBTQ-relevant topics.

Unlike many LGBTQ friendly schools, Davidson maintains a robust career development resources page that includes information on rights in the workplace, job search tools, industry resources, and tips for assessing employers. Student can join one of the school's many organizations related to gender and sexuality, including Davidson Women's Committee, For Loving Yourself, Queers & Allies, and You Are Not a Stranger Here. Graduates are free to join the Gay-Straight Alumni Network, an informal affinity network created to facilitate connections between LGBTQ alumni and the college.

Learn more at Campus Pride.