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
American University
- Washington, DC
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$50,542
- Out-of-state$50,542
- In-State$34,533
- Out-of-state$34,533
- Retention Rate85%
- Acceptance Rate39%
- Students Enrolled14,001
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment33%
- AccreditationYes
Brown University
- Providence, RI
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$59,254
- Out-of-state$59,254
- In-State$59,254
- Out-of-state$59,254
- Retention Rate92%
- Acceptance Rate8%
- Students Enrolled9,948
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment87%
- AccreditationYes
Connecticut College
- New London, CT
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$58,660
- Out-of-state$58,660
- Retention Rate87%
- Acceptance Rate38%
- Students Enrolled1,737
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment0%
- AccreditationYes
Elon University
- Elon, NC
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$37,414
- Out-of-state$37,414
- In-State$18,432
- Out-of-state$18,432
- Retention Rate90%
- Acceptance Rate72%
- Students Enrolled7,117
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment0%
- AccreditationYes
Emory University
- Atlanta, GA
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$53,070
- Out-of-state$53,070
- In-State$43,800
- Out-of-state$43,800
- Retention Rate93%
- Acceptance Rate19%
- Students Enrolled13,997
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment87%
- AccreditationYes
Ithaca College
- Ithaca, NY
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$46,610
- Out-of-state$46,610
- In-State$22,056
- Out-of-state$22,056
- Retention Rate77%
- Acceptance Rate76%
- Students Enrolled5,354
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment97%
- AccreditationYes
Kansas State University
- Manhattan, KS
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$9,375
- Out-of-state$25,251
- In-State$10,212
- Out-of-state$23,050
- Retention Rate87%
- Acceptance Rate94%
- Students Enrolled20,854
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment66%
- AccreditationYes
Macalester College
- Saint Paul, MN
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$58,248
- Out-of-state$58,248
- Retention Rate90%
- Acceptance Rate39%
- Students Enrolled2,049
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment0%
- AccreditationYes
Montana State University
- Bozeman, MT
- 4 year
- Online
- In-State$5,654
- Out-of-state$25,087
- In-State$5,089
- Out-of-state$19,660
- Retention Rate78%
- Acceptance Rate81%
- Students Enrolled16,218
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment94%
- AccreditationYes
Northern Arizona University
- Flagstaff, AZ
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$10,243
- Out-of-state$16,248
- In-State$10,309
- Out-of-state$18,630
- Retention Rate76%
- Acceptance Rate82%
- Students Enrolled29,566
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment59%
- AccreditationYes
Northern Illinois University
- Dekalb, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$9,466
- Out-of-state$9,466
- In-State$8,858
- Out-of-state$8,858
- Retention Rate78%
- Acceptance Rate59%
- Students Enrolled16,769
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment15%
- AccreditationYes
Ohio State University
- Columbus, OH
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$10,615
- Out-of-state$32,599
- In-State$11,560
- Out-of-state$36,276
- Retention Rate94%
- Acceptance Rate68%
- Students Enrolled61,369
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment94%
- AccreditationYes
Portland State University
- Portland, OR
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$7,907
- Out-of-state$25,536
- In-State$14,652
- Out-of-state$22,143
- Retention Rate75%
- Acceptance Rate95%
- Students Enrolled23,640
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment36%
- AccreditationYes
Princeton University
- Princeton, NJ
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$48,502
- Out-of-state$48,502
- In-State$53,890
- Out-of-state$53,890
- Retention Rate83%
- Acceptance Rate6%
- Students Enrolled7,853
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment81%
- AccreditationYes
Purdue University
- West Lafayette, IN
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$9,208
- Out-of-state$28,010
- In-State$9,208
- Out-of-state$28,010
- Retention Rate93%
- Acceptance Rate67%
- Students Enrolled46,655
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment82%
- AccreditationYes
San Diego State University
- San Diego, CA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$5,742
- Out-of-state$17,622
- In-State$7,176
- Out-of-state$16,680
- Retention Rate89%
- Acceptance Rate37%
- Students Enrolled36,334
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment99%
- AccreditationYes
Tufts University
- Medford, MA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$59,560
- Out-of-state$59,560
- In-State$54,196
- Out-of-state$54,196
- Retention Rate92%
- Acceptance Rate16%
- Students Enrolled12,219
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment93%
- AccreditationYes
University of Alabama
- Tuscaloosa, AL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$10,780
- Out-of-state$30,250
- In-State$10,780
- Out-of-state$30,250
- Retention Rate87%
- Acceptance Rate80%
- Students Enrolled37,840
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment90%
- AccreditationYes
University of Colorado Boulder
- Boulder, CO
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$10,728
- Out-of-state$34,930
- In-State$11,826
- Out-of-state$31,284
- Retention Rate85%
- Acceptance Rate84%
- Students Enrolled37,437
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment91%
- AccreditationYes
University of Delaware
- Newark, DE
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$12,730
- Out-of-state$34,160
- In-State$34,164
- Out-of-state$34,164
- Retention Rate90%
- Acceptance Rate66%
- Students Enrolled23,613
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment96%
- AccreditationYes
University of Louisville
- Louisville, KY
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$11,966
- Out-of-state$28,312
- In-State$13,260
- Out-of-state$27,374
- Retention Rate81%
- Acceptance Rate65%
- Students Enrolled22,211
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment76%
- AccreditationYes
University of Maine at Farmington
- Farmington, ME
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$8,640
- Out-of-state$19,350
- Retention Rate72%
- Acceptance Rate95%
- Students Enrolled1,862
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment69%
- AccreditationYes
University of Maryland
- College Park, MD
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$8,824
- Out-of-state$34,936
- In-State$13,158
- Out-of-state$29,250
- Retention Rate95%
- Acceptance Rate51%
- Students Enrolled40,709
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment93%
- AccreditationYes
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- Ann Arbor, MI
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$16,520
- Out-of-state$53,669
- In-State$24,344
- Out-of-state$49,120
- Retention Rate96%
- Acceptance Rate26%
- Students Enrolled47,907
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment91%
- AccreditationYes
University of Nebraska at Kearney
- Kearney, NE
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$6,270
- Out-of-state$13,650
- In-State$6,216
- Out-of-state$13,656
- Retention Rate81%
- Acceptance Rate88%
- Students Enrolled6,225
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment72%
- AccreditationYes
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
- Las Vegas, NV
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$7,747
- Out-of-state$23,398
- In-State$5,675
- Out-of-state$21,328
- Retention Rate80%
- Acceptance Rate81%
- Students Enrolled31,142
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment93%
- AccreditationYes
University of New Hampshire
- Durham, NH
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$15,520
- Out-of-state$32,860
- In-State$14,170
- Out-of-state$27,810
- Retention Rate86%
- Acceptance Rate85%
- Students Enrolled14,348
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment81%
- AccreditationYes
University of New Mexico
- Albuquerque, NM
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$6,463
- Out-of-state$22,801
- In-State$5,920
- Out-of-state$18,489
- Retention Rate77%
- Acceptance Rate96%
- Students Enrolled22,311
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment51%
- AccreditationYes
University of North Dakota
- Grand Forks, ND
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$8,540
- Out-of-state$12,810
- In-State$11,060
- Out-of-state$16,590
- Retention Rate81%
- Acceptance Rate87%
- Students Enrolled13,615
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment83%
- AccreditationYes
University of North Florida
- Jacksonville, FL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$3,996
- Out-of-state$16,799
- In-State$8,570
- Out-of-state$19,585
- Retention Rate84%
- Acceptance Rate80%
- Students Enrolled16,926
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment98%
- AccreditationYes
University of Oklahoma
- Norman, OK
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$4,788
- Out-of-state$20,169
- In-State$6,943
- Out-of-state$21,602
- Retention Rate87%
- Acceptance Rate83%
- Students Enrolled27,772
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment64%
- AccreditationYes
University of Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia, PA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$53,166
- Out-of-state$53,166
- In-State$37,678
- Out-of-state$37,678
- Retention Rate95%
- Acceptance Rate9%
- Students Enrolled26,552
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment85%
- AccreditationYes
University of Texas at Dallas
- Richardson, TX
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$13,992
- Out-of-state$38,970
- In-State$14,560
- Out-of-state$28,610
- Retention Rate90%
- Acceptance Rate79%
- Students Enrolled28,669
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment95%
- AccreditationYes
University of Utah
- Salt Lake City, UT
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$7,412
- Out-of-state$26,017
- In-State$6,666
- Out-of-state$23,537
- Retention Rate89%
- Acceptance Rate79%
- Students Enrolled33,081
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment90%
- AccreditationYes
University of Vermont
- Burlington, VT
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$16,392
- Out-of-state$41,280
- In-State$12,294
- Out-of-state$30,960
- Retention Rate85%
- Acceptance Rate71%
- Students Enrolled13,292
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment48%
- AccreditationYes
University of Washington
- Seattle, WA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$10,629
- Out-of-state$37,998
- In-State$16,278
- Out-of-state$29,178
- Retention Rate93%
- Acceptance Rate56%
- Students Enrolled48,149
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment11%
- AccreditationYes
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
- Eau Claire, WI
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$7,361
- Out-of-state$15,636
- In-State$8,027
- Out-of-state$18,061
- Retention Rate82%
- Acceptance Rate84%
- Students Enrolled11,017
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment82%
- AccreditationYes
Vanderbilt University
- Nashville, TN
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$52,781
- Out-of-state$52,781
- In-State$50,082
- Out-of-state$50,082
- Retention Rate96%
- Acceptance Rate12%
- Students Enrolled13,537
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment83%
- AccreditationYes
Virginia Wesleyan University
- Virginia Beach, VA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$36,010
- Out-of-state$36,010
- In-State$8,982
- Out-of-state$8,982
- Retention Rate64%
- Acceptance Rate74%
- Students Enrolled1,347
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment13%
- AccreditationYes
Washington University in St. Louis
- Saint Louis, MO
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$56,300
- Out-of-state$56,300
- In-State$56,300
- Out-of-state$56,300
- Retention Rate94%
- Acceptance Rate16%
- Students Enrolled15,449
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment85%
- AccreditationYes
West Virginia University
- Morgantown, WV
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$8,976
- Out-of-state$25,320
- In-State$10,134
- Out-of-state$26,154
- Retention Rate82%
- Acceptance Rate84%
- Students Enrolled26,269
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment94%
- AccreditationYes
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.”
Explore More College Resources
View AllCollege Experience Guide for LGBTQ+ Students
by R.B. Brooks
Updated June 12, 2023
College Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students
by Cameren Boatner
Updated May 24, 2023
Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ Students in 2024
by Cobretti D. Williams, Ph.D.
Updated August 15, 2024
View the most relevant schools for your interests and compare them by tuition, programs, acceptance rate, and other factors important to finding your college home.