The Top 30 Most LGBTQ Friendly Colleges
April 9, 2025
For a prospective college student who identifies as LGBTQ+, finding a LGBTQ friendly college is crucial. You want to know that your future campus home will be safe and inclusive, and offer a community where you will thrive academically and socially. What’s more, you may have concerns about access to facilities, campus resources, healthcare, and even academic opportunities in areas like Gender, Sexuality and Queer Studies. In this blog, we aim to highlight 30 schools that have sizable and vibrant LGBTQ+ communities, strong administrative backing, and a history of being welcoming and supportive. That being said, state and local laws around LGBTQ+ issues are changing rapidly, so be sure to check with the college or university before applying.
Many of these colleges are featured in our college guidebook: Colleges Worth Your Money. As such, you can bet that in addition to being excellent postsecondary homes for students who identify as LGBTQ+, they are also stellar academic institutions that boast phenomenal outcomes for graduates.
Please note that the 30 schools are numbered in alphabetical order for presentation/ease of reading purposes. While these schools are College Transitions’ top 30 LGBTQ friendly colleges, we don’t feel it would be meaningful to rank the schools further. Each institution on this list does an excellent job in all of the areas cited above.
The 30 Most LGBTQ Friendly Colleges
1) Adelphi University
- Paid staff with responsibility for LGBTQ support services
- Regularly plans educational events on transgender issues
- Gender-inclusive housing for new/returning students
- Trans-inclusive trained counseling staff
2) Brown University
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (Stonewall House)
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy which covers hormone replacement therapy
- LGBTQ & Ally student organization (Queer Alliance)
- LGBTQ mentoring program to welcome and assist LGBTQ students in transitioning to college life
3) Carleton College
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (Gender and Sexuality Center)
- Gender-inclusive/single occupancy restroom facilities on campus
- LGBTQ alumni group (Out After Carleton)
- Regularly plans LGBTQ social activities
4) College of William & Mary
- LGBTQ alumni group (Crim Dell Association)
- Gender-inclusive/single occupancy restrooms in campus housing
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy which covers hormone replacement therapy
- Gender-inclusive housing for new and returning students
5) Elon University
- LGBTQ-specific course offerings
- Regularly plans educational events on transgender issues
- LGBTQ living space, theme floors, and/or living-learning communities
- Special Lavender or Rainbow Graduation ceremony for LGBTQ students and allies
6) Emerson College
- Accessible, simple process for students to change their name on university records and documents
- Regularly plans educational events on transgender issues
- Resource center/office with responsibility for LGBTQ students
- LGBTQ alumni group
7) Emory University
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy that covers hormone replacement therapy
- LGBTQ student scholarships
- Regularly plans LGBTQ social activities
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (The Office of LGBT Life)
8) Indiana University, Bloomington
- Ally program or Safe Space/Safe Zone
- Accessible, simple process for students to change their name on university records and documents
- New faculty/staff training opportunities on gender identity issues
- Gender-inclusive housing for new/returning students
9) Ithaca College
- LGBTQ alumni group
- LGBTQ & Ally student organization (PRISM)
- Private changing space and showers in locker rooms to address safety of transgender participants
- Special Lavender or Rainbow Graduation ceremony for LGBTQ students and allies
10) Macalester College
- LGBTQ & Ally student organization (Gender & Sexuality Commons)
- LGBTQ-inclusive career services
- Actively seek to employ diverse of faculty and staff including visible, out LGBTQ people
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy which covers hormone replacement therapy
11) Mount Holyoke College
- Gender-inclusive housing for new/returning students (Gloria Anzaldua LLC)
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy which covers hormone replacement therapy
- Regularly offers educational events surrounding intersectionality of identities for LGBTQ people (MoZone)
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students
12) Northern Illinois University
- Standing advisory committee that deals with LGBTQ issues
- Regularly plans LGBTQ social activities
- Annually participates in LGBTQ admission fairs
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy that covers hormone replacement services
13) NYU
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (NYU LGBTQ+ Center)
- Actively seek to employ diverse of faculty and staff including visible, out LGBTQ people
- Gender-inclusive housing for new/returning students
- Gender-inclusive/single occupancy restrooms in campus housing
14) Oakland University
- LGBTQ mentoring program to welcome and assist students in transitioning to academic and college life
- Gender-inclusive/single occupancy shower facilities in campus housing
- LGBTQ faculty/staff organization
- Non-discrimination statement inclusive of gender identity/expression
15) Oberlin College
- Gender-inclusive/single occupancy restrooms in campus housing
- Regularly plans educational events on transgender issues (My Name is My Own)
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (GSAI)
- Gender-inclusive housing for new/returning students (Baldwin)
16) Penn State University
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity)
- LGBTQ alumni group
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy which covers hormone replacement therapy
- Special Lavender or Rainbow Graduation ceremony for LGBTQ students and allies
17) Rutgers University
- Regularly plans educational events on transgender issues
- Gender-inclusive housing for new/returning students (Rainbow Perspectives Housing)
- LGBTQ faculty/staff organization
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (Center for Social Justice Education and LGBT Communities
18) Smith College
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy which covers hormone replacement therapy
- LGBTQ alumni group
- LGBTQ & Ally student organization (PRISM)
19) Stanford University
- LGBTQ alumni group (Stanford Pride)
- Regularly plans educational events on LGBTQ issues
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy which covers hormone replacement therapy (Weiland Health Initiative)
20) Tufts University
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (LGBT Center)
- Gender-inclusive housing for new/returning students
- LGBTQ mentoring program to welcome and assist LGBTQ students in transitioning to academic and college life
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy which covers hormone replacement therapy
21) Trinity College
- Health insurance overage to employees’ same-sex partner
- LGBTQ & Ally student organization
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (Queer Resource Center)
- Trains campus police on gender identity/expression issues
22) University of Maryland – College Park
- Special Lavender or Rainbow Graduation ceremony for LGBTQ students and allies
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (LGBTQ+ Equity Center)
- LGBTQ & Ally student organization (Pride Alliance)
23) University of Massachusetts – Amherst
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (Stonewall Center)
- Gender-inclusive/single occupancy restrooms in campus housing
- Regularly plans educational events on LGBTQ issues
24) University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
- Accessible, simple process for students to change their name on university records and documents
- Regularly offers educational events surrounding intersectionality of identities for LGBTQ people
- Trans-inclusive student health insurance policy which covers hormone replacement therapy
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (Spectrum Center)
25) University of Washington – Seattle
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (The Q Center)
- Special Lavender or Rainbow Graduation ceremony for LGBTQ students and allies
- Gender-inclusive/single occupancy restrooms in campus housing
26) University of Wisconsin – Madison
- Actively seek to employ diverse faculty and staff including visible, out LGBTQ people
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (Gender and Sexuality Campus Center)
- Regularly plans educational events on LGBTQ issues
27) University of Pennsylvania
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (LGBT Center)
- LGBTQ alumni group (PennGALA)
- Actively seek to employ diverse faculty and staff including visible, out LGBTQ people
28) Wellesley College
- LGBTQ mentoring program to welcome and assist LGBTQ students in transitioning to academic and college life (The Hive)
- LGBTQ-specific course offerings
29) Wesleyan University
- LGBTQ-specific course offerings (Queer Studies)
- LGBTQ alumni group
- Gender-inclusive housing for new/returning students
30) Vassar College
- Resource center/office with responsibilities for LGBTQ students (LGBTQ+ Center)
- Gender-inclusive housing for new/returning students
- Gender-inclusive/single occupancy restroom facilities on campus
Final Thoughts
We hope you have found our list of the Top 30 Most LGBTQ Friendly Colleges to be helpful in your college search process. We are confident that each school is a welcoming and equitable home for all prospective students.
Looking for more resources? You might check out the links below:
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