The 15 best universities in the U.S. for LGBTQ+ students

A new study was just released that provides a comprehensive look at U.S. universities to see how LGBTQ+ inclusive they are. The adult entertainment portal Erobella, responsible for the Sexually Liberal City Index, published Out on Campus: The LGBTQ+ College Index 2026, a study ranking “1,718 four-year colleges scored against twelve public data sources.” Universities across the country were measured against each other to see which four-year institutions have the most professionally staffed LGBTQ+ centers, provide gender-inclusive housing, have a written policy protecting trans students from discrimination, cover transition care with student health insurance, and allow for chosen names and pronouns to be used on official records.The study also focused on the city the college is in, whether there are any LGBTQ+ venues within 10 miles of the campus, and how the city scored on the Human Rights Commission’s Municipal Equality Index."For LGBTQ+ students, knowing how supportive and inclusive a university really is can make a meaningful difference,” said Brenda Jensen from Erobella's data and research team. “With the Out on Campus Index, we want to create greater transparency and show which universities are providing concrete support and resources for LGBTQ+ students — while also highlighting where there is still room for improvement.”Erobella thought it was important to study how LGBTQ+-friendly U.S. colleges are, since the Campus Pride Index was shut down after 18 years, despite being the go-to guide for LGBTQ+ life on university campuses across the country. Late last year, the Trump administration also shut down the government’s list of Title IX religious exemptions from ed.gov, and state anti-DEI laws began closing campus LGBTQ+ centers.Unsurprisingly, not a single Southern school made the top ten, and the majority of the bottom 25 are religious universities. New York, on the other hand, proved just how progressive the state is by having three universitie