It’s a common misconception that there are no LGBTQ-friendly colleges in the South. This couldn’t be further from the truth! There are plenty of colleges on Southern campuses with thriving LGBTQ+ communities, but it just takes a little bit of digging to find them. Campus Pride, the nation’s leading nonprofit advocating for LGBTQ+ rights on college campuses, compiles a comprehensive list of top colleges according to various criteria of LGBTQ-friendliness. In the 2023 “BEST OF THE BEST LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges & Universities” list, five colleges from the South make it onto the list.

It should first be noted that Campus Pride does not list colleges from Texas or Florida on this list due to the recent passage of legislation in these states “that effectively ban LGBTQ+ inclusive policies, programs and practices on college and university campuses.” They further say that “Campus Pride encourages prospective students and families to research current state laws for any college or university being considered.” 

Unfortunately, the political landscape in Texas and Florida is simply not hospitable to LGBTQ+ life. It’s absolutely essential that all prospective applicants to schools in these states know what to expect from these laws. Ivy Coach has compiled a guide for transgender college applicants for this very reason. Resources and support can be hard to come by for LGBTQ+ applicants who feel isolated in their communities, but a better life is out there!

Campus Pride’s Best LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges in the South

School	Location	Undergraduate Student Body Size	Acceptance Rate	4-Year Graduation Rate
Elon University	Elon, NC	6,300	74%	85%
George Mason University	Fairfax, VA	27,100	90%	70%
Guilford College	Greensboro, NC	1,200	84%	56%
Northern Kentucky University	Highland Heights, KY	10,900	86%	45%
University of Louisville	Louisville KY	16,100	82%	43%

Each school on this list scored well above average on several critical metrics of LGBTQ-friendliness, including “Policy Inclusion,” “Support & Institutional Commitment,” “Academic Life,” “Student Life,” “Housing & Residence Life,” “Campus Safety,” “Counseling & Health,” and “Recruitment & Retention.” Campus Pride distinguishes between resources for trans students and other members of the community, and offers comprehensive breakdowns of specific campus policies. We would encourage any LGBTQ+ high schoolers and family members to peruse the Campus Pride database to learn more about LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities across the nation.

What Campus Pride Gets Wrong About LGBTQ-Friendliness at Southern Colleges

The Campus Prides index neglects one crucial factor in their evaluation of LGBTQ-friendliness at Colleges in the South: postgrad outcomes. You may have noticed that none of the “best” colleges on their list are highly selective, nor do any of them have particularly stellar graduation rates. An LGBTQ-friendly college is only as successful at doing their job as their average alum is at finding a job. When the LGBTQ+ poverty rate is 6% higher than that of non-LGBTQ+ people, and the unemployment rate is double the national average, it’s crucial that academically ambitious LGBTQ+ high schoolers be encouraged to go to the best school possible. Even though the schools on Campus Pride’s list might boast incredible resources and support networks, they are probably not drawing the best and brightest LGBTQ+ youth to their campuses.

LGBTQ+ communities, big and small, exist on every college campus in the world, and they always have! While many of the most competitive colleges in the United States are located in the northeastern region and the West Coast, there are plenty of schools in the South that have reputations for impeccable postgrad outcomes and earning potential, such as Emory University and the University of Virginia. 

High schoolers should only choose from among the best schools they are accepted into when making their decision (with the exception of schools located in politically-hostile regions), and they should try to get in touch with current LGBTQ+ students and student-run groups at these schools in order to gauge what LGBTQ+ life is really like on campus. Some of the most unassuming schools have thriving cultures that fly below the radar!