The best colleges for LGBTQ+ students foster an inclusive campus climate and offer accessible, robust support services that make students feel safe, seen, and valued, allowing them to thrive personally and academically.
To determine our list, we used our proprietary methodology to compare factors such as affordability and student outcomes. Each school on our list also protects gender identity and sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination agreement, offers gender-inclusive and accessible restrooms and housing, and has an active LGBTQ+ resource center. This helps to ensure each school provides safe spaces, advocacy, and community building.
How We Ranked the Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ Students
To identify the top colleges for LGBTQ+ students, we evaluated colleges' and universities' available resources, student support services, and campus practices. Each school meets the following criteria:
LGBTQ+ Center: The colleges found to be most inclusive of trans and nonbinary students are institutions with an LGBTQ+ center that provides programming, a community space, and advocacy for LGBTQ+-supportive policies.
Nondiscrimination Protection: LGBTQ+ students too often experience discrimination on college campuses and need institutional recourse and support. Colleges need to include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" as protected classes in their nondiscrimination and Title IX policies.
Equal Access: Each school on this list ensures trans and nonbinary students have equal access to higher education through inclusive housing policies and either allows them to use bathrooms aligned with their gender identity or offers ample all-gender restrooms.
DEI: Colleges must show no recent evidence of implementing anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies or otherwise discriminating against the LGBTQ+ community.
In addition, BestColleges also incorporates its own ranking methodology that emphasizes the following factors to produce this list:
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 the 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, the graduation rate is crucial for assessing how many enrolled students successfully complete their degree program (note that graduation rate measures full-time, first-time students).
Diversity & Inclusion: Our assessment of campus diversity and inclusion focuses on a student's ability to navigate college regardless of socioeconomic status and accounts for the diversity of the student population across race and ethnicity. Additionally, we also consider whether a school has explicit anti-LGBTQ+ policies that target LGBTQ+ 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 for offering competitive tuition but also for providing students with the skills needed to graduate and successfully enter the workforce.
How to Choose the Right LGBTQ+-Friendly College
When looking at LGBTQ+-friendly colleges to attend, consider taking the following steps before making your decision.
Scan the News
Review recent campus news and student publications to understand how the school responds to LGBTQ+ issues. Coverage can reveal whether the college administration actively supports LGBTQ+ students and how inclusive the campus culture feels in practice, particularly with recent government pushback against DEI policies and protections.
Search for LGBTQ+ Student Organizations
The school's official LGBTQ+ resource center is a good starting point for learning about the variety of student-led organizations available to you.
There are active clubs, affinity groups, and advocacy organizations that can welcome you and provide a space to ask questions, find support, connect with others, and share your experiences. These organizations can potentially ease your introduction into college life.
Determine Your Living Situation (If Applicable)
If you plan to live on campus, research housing policies before applying. Schools should have a gender-inclusive option and allow inclusive roommate matching. All of the schools on this list offer some form of gender-inclusive housing, but specifics may vary.
Note that inclusive-housing options are typically in high demand and can fill up quickly, so a good rule of thumb is to apply for housing as soon as you have decided on a school.
Apply for LGBTQ+ Scholarships
Due to recent legal and political scrutiny regarding identity-based programs, many schools have shifted toward broader scholarships which, while still accessible to LGBTQ+ students, comply with evolving state laws and institutional policies.
Despite this, some schools buck the trend and continue to offer scholarships specifically designed for LGBTQ+ students, and many private foundations and nonprofit organizations offer their own scholarship opportunities. Seek these out to help reduce your college costs.
"In a time when many schools are rolling back their support services or closing their support centers altogether, it's more important than ever that we offer comprehensive and inclusive support to LGBTQ+ students. I'm proud to lead a center at an institution that follows through with such support…Ithaca College offers an environment where LGBTQ+ students are not just accepted, they are expected, affirmed, and supported from their very first moments on campus to the day they walk across the stage at graduation."
― Crissi Dalfonzo, Director for LGBT Education, Outreach, and Services at Ithaca College
Frequently Asked Questions About LGBTQ+-Friendly Colleges
An LGBTQ+-friendly college is one that actively supports LGBTQ+ students by having inclusive policies, nondiscriminatory protections, gender-inclusive housing and facilities, LGBTQ+ student organizations, and dedicated support services.
LGBTQ-friendly colleges also foster an inclusive campus climate by offering educational workshops for faculty, staff, and students, expanding course offerings, and providing access to health care.
