Campus Pride—a resource for LGBTQ+ leadership development, diversity inclusion and advocacy within higher education—announced the annual Best of the Best Colleges and Universities for LGBTQ+ students in the United States, recognizing the work of 40 campuses in making their communities safer and more welcoming environments for students, faculty, and staff alike.
These campuses earned five out of five stars on the Campus Pride Index (CPI), a national benchmarking tool measuring LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs and practices. To earn the ranking, campuses receive percentage scores from 90 to 100 based on said policies, programs and practices. The methodology to determine this year’s Best of the Best List was based on an overall score of 93 percent or higher.
Illinois schools making the cut included Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Many members of the NIU community and family brought us to this moment. We honor their legacies by cultivating a campus that they can continue to be proud of,” said Molly B. Holmes, director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center at Northern Illinois University. “We honor Queer and Trans People of Color who have led and are leading now at NIU and beyond. Our current students motivate, inspire, and trust us to do our best for them. This achievement is because of them. We’re thankful for senior leaders, faculty, and staff who continue to invest in LGBTQ+ lives and livelihood. This award marks an important moment for us and allows us to remind students, faculty, staff, and alumni of their value to NIU. We will continue to work hard—to be the best of the best for NIU and beyond. Go Huskies!”
The 2022 list is at http://campuspride.org/BestoftheBest