For many students who identify as LGBTQ+, college is the first place they find community and a safe space to be themselves. But some colleges are more inclusive than others, and many LGBTQ+ students face discrimination and alienation on campus, such as being misgendered or having little visibility and representation.
One-third of LGBTQ+ students at four-year schools reported being bullied, harassed or assaulted at college, for instance, compared to 19% of their non-LGBTQ peers, according to a 2022 report from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.
Many colleges have made strides in creating more inclusive campus climates, including implementing all-gender restrooms, adding LGBTQ+ majors and minors to the curriculum and establishing specific resource centers for this student population. But recently, some colleges across the U.S. have shuttered race- and identity-based on-campus resource centers in response to anti-DEI efforts under President Donald Trump’s administration and state legislatures who argue that using taxes to fund programs for only certain groups is illegal discrimination.
Despite these efforts, many college websites continue to share information about on-campus LGBTQ+ centers and additional resources.
“Eliminating identity-based resources is censorship and negatively impacts the ability for students in college to explore who they are, what their values are and how they see the world,” Christina Chala, university student engagement programs manager at The City University of New York, wrote in an email. “Particularly for LGBTQI+ folks who mostly are not raised by households that also have people who identify as LGBTQI+, finding community resources is critical for not feeling isolated, alone or like there’s something wrong with you.”
Some states have also passed anti-LGBTQ+ laws that limit the ability to update gender information on IDs and records, prohibit transgender people from using public bathrooms and locker rooms of the gender they self-identify as, and ban publicly funded gender-affirming health care for transgender youth.
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“Despite the often very hostile climate that exists now for trans and nonbinary people, there are a lot of really supportive people out there,” says Genny Beemyn, director of the University of Massachusetts–Amherst‘s Stonewall Center, an LGBTQIA+ resource center. “There are a lot of institutions that are trying to do their best to do right by trans and nonbinary students and LGBTQA+ students in general. So it’s not hopeless there. There are certainly institutions that are welcoming and inclusive that students can seek out and would still have a really positive college experience.”
Here’s what students can look out for to determine whether a school is LGBTQ-friendly.
Signs of an LGBTQ-Friendly College
When putting together a list of colleges, LGBTQ+ students should research whether a school has “out” faculty and staff, offers inclusive housing and gender-neutral bathrooms, uses pronouns and preferred names, and has on-campus resource centers.
“Students should look for the best college they can find that meets their needs, both academic and personal,” says Jane Fernandes, president of Antioch College in Ohio. “Social well-being is important, as the curriculum is also important.”
Has “Out” Faculty and Staff
Having faculty members and staff who are open about their LGBTQ+ identity, as well as those who research LGBTQ+ issues, is a good sign for students, experts say.
“?I think all of us learn better when we feel accepted and we feel like we belong,” says Jonah DeChants, a senior research scientist at The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention efforts for LGBTQ+ youth. “One way to feel like you belong is to see that there are other people who have similar experiences, identities to you in positions of power or authority or even just as community members.”
For a lot of young people, he adds, “getting to college is maybe the first time they’re thinking about some of this stuff and maybe the first time they’re encountering an LGBTQ adult. So it can really be a kind of eye-opening experience for folks to see an adult like them, having success and thriving in the world, and being included and celebrated in a campus community.”
Students also want to see “other people like themselves” on campus, Fernandes says. “I think it’s really important now, more than ever, for all students, including LGBTQ students, to feel safe and see themselves in the student body when they’re looking at the webpage or if they’re looking at printed material or if they’re walking for a campus visit.”
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Offers Gender-Inclusive Housing and Gender-Neutral Bathrooms
Moving into the dorms for the first time or using the bathrooms or locker rooms on campus can evoke fear for many transgender and nonbinary students, experts say. So it’s important to research a school’s housing and bathroom policies — like whether they offer single-occupancy or all-gender restrooms — before applying.
Uses Pronouns, Preferred Names
Find out whether a prospective school allows students to use a preferred name, Chala says.
“Can they get an ID card with their preferred name on it?” Chala says. “Are there gender markers in student information systems, and can those be updated? Are they/them pronouns an option? Can students use a preferred name on their diploma? … These are just some of the practical ways we can make campus climate more inclusive, welcoming and uplifting” for students and community members who identify as LGBTQ+.
Houses, LGBTQ+ Center, Other Resources
Schools that support LGBTQ+ students offer resources on campus, like inclusive health care and mentorship programs to help ease the transition from high school to college, experts say.
Resources may be encompassed under an LGBTQ center, and schools may also have related student-run groups or clubs on campus. Some of these student organizations are academic-based, like OutLaw, a community for LGBTQ+ students pursuing law degrees. Others cater to specific gender or racial identities.
Colleges “may not be screaming it from the rooftops right now because the risk to do that feels pretty big to them — they don’t want to lose funding or get in the crosshairs of more conservative folks who could do harm to their budget or their reputation,” says Ellen Kahn, senior vice president of equality programs at the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. “But they’re still walking the talk. There really are so many ways to walk the talk in terms of how you treat your students, how you interact with them, how you keep them safe. I think all those things are very often alive and well, even if it’s not still written up on your website.”
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Tips for Applying to College as an LGBTQ+ Student
DeChants advises prospective college students to research the local and state policy environment where a school of interest is located.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a one-to-one,” he says. “Just because a state has (an adverse) LGBTQ policy doesn’t necessarily mean that a campus is going to be the wrong place for an LGBTQ student. However, that larger macro-policy environment is going to inform a lot of the decisions that the college or university is making, and it’s going to constrain their ability to protect or affirm LGBTQ students.”
Students can also refer to a college’s student handbook or reach out to current students to understand campus culture and policies, experts say.
“That’s always actually the best kind of college research — when students get to talk to students who are on campus right now because things change so fast,” says Robert Powers, founder of College Torch, a college consultancy specializing in supporting LGBTQ+ students in the college search. “And over four years, the vast majority of the population on campus will have turned over, so it’s good to get current information.”
There are also outside online resources, like the Campus Pride Index, that analyze and rate a college’s commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs and practices.
“No matter where you end up, make an effort to connect with other people in the community and stay connected with community members,” Chala says. Whether or not you identify as LGBTQ+, “finding people who will show up for us and have our back is how we get through tough times in our lives and in our communities.”
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How to Find an LGBTQ-Friendly College originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 06/18/25: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
