This NC University Named Among Most LGBTQ-Friendly

NORTH CAROLINA — A new report has named the 25 most LGBTQ-friendly colleges in the country, and one of them are right here in North Carolina. The college ratings site College Consensus released its rankings Monday. In North Carolina, Elon University was named among the nation’s best.

The site selected the best LGBTQ schools based on several factors: the strength of their student groups, inclusiveness policies and recognition by the campus pride index, a benchmarking tool to help colleges and universities create safer and more inclusive campuses.

Here’s what they had to say about Elon University:

Elon University (Elon) offers a Gender & LGBTQIA Center to promote tolerance and inclusion across its campus. The Gender & LGBTQIA Center provides LGBT students (and those questioning their sexual identity) a chance to feel valued, validated and victorious while attending Elon, and in their lives. For the fourth year in a row, Campus Pride Index has ranked Elon is among the top 30 LGBT friendly colleges.

The colleges on the list spanned 16 states. Notable winners included Harvey Mudd College in California, Pennsylvania State University, Princeton University and Rutgers University in New Jersey, Ohio State University and University of Maryland.

Here are the top 10:

1. Princeton University, NJ
2. Harvey Mudd College, CA
3. University of Pennsylvania, PA
4. Macalester College, MN
5. Elon University, NC
6. Tufts University, MA
7. Lehigh university, PA
8. University of Washington, WA
9. Ithaca College, NY
10. Ohio State University, OH

“LGBT friendly colleges are critical for the safety and well-being of gay, lesbian, trans, and nonconforming young people all over the nation,” the authors noted.

The site’s editors noted in a release that colleges and universities have been at the “vanguard of culture” for decades. Historically, that has included protecting artistic expression and giving young people a forum to voice their political views. However, for LGBTQ students, inclusive policies “can truly be a matter of life or death," particularly given that discrimination and hate crimes are still prevalent in many areas.

"LGBTQ friendly colleges are critical for the safety and well-being of gay, lesbian, trans, and nonconforming young people all over the nation," the editors said, providing "a safe space for queer young people, while helping prepare them for a workforce that is still frequently hostile."

The site acknowledged ranking the most LGBTQ-friendly colleges is somewhat subjective, but stressed it was done with care. An outspoken — and well-promoted — campus pride organization is a “clear sign" of acceptance in the campus community, the authors said.

Another indicator is in official institutional policy. This includes things like “inclusive language” in the student handbook, gender-inclusive or gender-neutral housing and clearly stated anti-discrimination policies.

“In other words, inclusiveness is a grab-bag, based on choices that colleges make based on their own needs and student population,” the authors said. “Policies or organizations that work for one college may not work for another, so defining LGBT friendly colleges means sorting through and analyzing. It’s a little objective and a little subjective, and always open for debate.”

College Consensus says it combines the latest college ranking systems with student review scores.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images