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

The adult entertainment portal Erobella, responsible for the Sexually Liberal City Index, just released a new study ranking U.S. universities by how LGBTQ+-inclusive they are.Erobella recently published the Out on Campus: The LGBTQ+ College Index 2026, which measures how “supportive and inclusive” the universities across the country are. The study examined whether universities have professionally staffed LGBTQ+ centers, provide gender-inclusive housing, have written policies that protect trans students from discrimination, have a student health insurance plan that covers gender-affirming care, and allow chosen names and pronouns to be used on official records.Out on Campus also analyzed the city where the school is located by measuring its score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, the number of LGBTQ+ venues nearby, and whether there is a local PFLAG chapter.Related: The 15 best universities in the U.S. for LGBTQ+ students"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.”Since the Campus Pride Index was shut down after serving as the go-to source for finding LGBTQ+-friendly universities for the past 18 years, this study is more important than ever for students seeking a four-year institution that provides trans and other LGBTQ+ students with support and protection.New York University came out on top as the most LGBTQ+ friendly university in the country, while at the other end of the spectrum, 81 colleges hold or have sought religious exemptions under Title IX to legally permit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Every school in the bottom 15 is also a r