Black female in rainbow shirt & tie, phone with words Search, Apply, Acceptance

Resources and College Search Tips for LGBTQ+ Students

Most colleges offer LGBTQ+ resources to provide support for all students. Learn more about them here, plus advice for your own college search.

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month! Even though we support our LGBTQ+ friends all year long, we're psyched to honor this special month too. And if you're looking for LGBTQ+ resources as part of your college search, you've come to the right place. When looking through your college choices, it’s important to find a school where you feel comfortable. For many LGBTQ+ students, that can sometimes be a little harder to find. But it becomes easier when you know what’s out there and what you can look for. In fact, most colleges offer LGBTQ+ resources on their campuses. And like so many other campus services, these organizations provide support for all kinds of issues.

LGBTQ+ resources on college campuses

Depending on the college, LGBTQ+ resources range from support groups to gender-neutral housing or restrooms to leadership programs especially for queer students. These programs aim to bring LGBTQ+ students together with pride and comfort. Many colleges also offer seminars and help to LGBTQ+ students who may be struggling in some way. Or you may find campus committees that represent LGBTQ+ students in the development of school policies—especially if those policies may be unfair. For example, one study showed that LGBTQ+ students often don’t have the same opportunities as their heterosexual classmates; those committees make sure those issues are addressed and fight for students’ rights.

Some colleges and universities hold inclusive events like Pride parades or festivals—events dedicated to celebrating who you are with crowds of people who both relate to you and support you. It’s a good way to meet new people and make friends. It’s also a fun way to embrace who you are and feel proud of your identity. LGBTQ+ students get a chance to shine during Pride!

Related: National Clubs Celebrating Diversity on Campus 

What to look for during your college search

When you’re researching colleges, be sure to look into your college options and research their campus resources for LGBTQ+ students:

  • Does the college or university have LGBTQ+ campus clubs or committees?
  • Do they offer gender-neutral accommodations?
  • Are there classes or other source work related to LGBTQ+ issues? 
  • Do they have any Pride events?
  • Is there LGBTQ+ representation amongst campus leaders (president, provost, etc.)? 

In short, does the college campus have resources that will put you at ease? (Even if you don’t identify as LGBTQ+, if you value attending a college committed to inclusivity, you might want to check out these resources too!)

Choosing which college is right for you is a lot like choosing your new home. Many LGBTQ+ students find a family at their campus, a tight-knit group of people who support and understand them. It’s important that you feel comfortable, happy, and free to be exactly who you are. LGBTQ+ resources should be a requirement on your college checklist, along with research into what those resources entail.

Additional college search resources for LGBTQ+ students

  • Campus Pride: The LGBT-Friendly Index: This list is based on the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index developed by Campus Pride. These colleges received high scores on LGBT campus life based on their inclusive, welcoming, and respectful atmosphere toward LGBT students.
  • Top 50 LGBTQ–Friendly Colleges and Universities: Using data from leading LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, reports from students and faculty, and a comprehensive range of LGBTQ-inclusive factors, Best Accredited Colleges created this definitive list of the top 50 colleges for LGBTQ+ students that will help you choose a college where you'll be supported and safe.
  • Colleges Where LGBTQ+ Students Are Comfortable: At these colleges, campus pride is more than just about football games.

There's a place out there for everyone—a place where you will be not just accepted but embraced. A place where you will thrive, be happy, and go on to do great things. Best of luck in your search! 

Find even more great college options using our College Search tool.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Therese Castro

Therese is a high school student from Texas who loves writing—all kinds of writing—more than anything. She believes that opinions and advice should be shared and that important social topics should be talked about.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Joycelyn

Joycelyn

High School Class of 2023

I’m currently a college freshman attending Towson University. My major is Information Technology, and I plan to minor in Electronic Media & Film to achieve my goal of becoming a production engineer. Upon graduating high school earlier this year, I was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from CollegeXpress, which greatly assisted in paying my tuition. Truthfully, this financial reward was the difference in affording my room and board and tuition, along with other expenses for school. My family and I haven’t stopped celebrating my award since it was bestowed on me. I will never forget this opportunity for allowing me to get my foot into my university financially.

Keydi Banegas

Keydi Banegas

Scholarship for Students of Color Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress is a great application that helped me search for many different scholarships, and it narrows the scholarships depending on how you set your profile. Not only that, but it helps you choose different colleges to apply to by finding matches through the description of your profile. It was the best experience for me.

Sonny Harris

Sonny Harris

College Student

For the entire year before college, I spent a lot of time deeply considering what major I wanted to go into and how to fund my higher education. After a lot of research, I came across CollegeXpress, which helped me ultimately find a ton of scholarships for which I could apply—and some of which I received! If it weren’t for CollegeXpress, I may not have found those scholarships as they didn't appear on any other scholarship search forum. Additionally, I learned more about the options I had been considering for my major through CollegeXpress’s resources. In the end, I chose to major in Computer Science, as it seemed best suited to me and the careers in the field seemed enjoyable, and I've never been more excited to move into my future! Ultimately, I want to thank CollegeXpress for offering their services. I received enough financial aid in scholarships to fund my entire freshman year of college and even got some money refunded which I used to purchase a new laptop, and I bought all of the books I needed for the semester!

Alexandria

Alexandria

High School Class of 2021

For a long time, I've been searching everywhere to find the perfect website I can get scholarships and information from. Needless to say, I could never find the right one. That was, until I found CollegeXpress. Through my journey of finding the right scholarships for me, I was able to find articles about different things. They've all been helpful, especially in times like this! I was even able to connect with some of my favorite colleges! I love CollegeXpress. Thank you!

Kayla

Kayla

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me organize the schools I wanted to choose from in one place, which I could then easily compare and find the school that was right for me!

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Catawba College

Salisbury, NC

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

Saint Joseph's College

Standish, ME