Penn State was voted as one of the most LGBTQ-friendly universities, according to Campus Pride.

The Campus Pride Index, a national listing of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities, named 30 universities as the “Best of the Best” in LGBTQ-friendly commitments, opportunities, and actions. In order to make the list, a school must score in the highest percentile in LGBTQ-friendly benchmarks.

Of the 30 other schools on the index, Penn State is one of only seven universities from the mid-Atlantic region.

“This honor showcases the dedication to furthering and broadening the work around diversity, equity and inclusion on our campus,” Sonya Wilmoth, director of the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, said. “We are committed to doing the work and ensuring that our sexual and gender diverse students are supported and valued in the Penn State community.”

Penn State has proven its LGBTQ-friendly practices by scoring a 5 out of 5 in a few areas of assessment, including its LGBTQ student opportunities and organizations, LGBTQ inclusion policies, LGBTQ counseling and health, LGBTQ campus safety, LGBTQ support and institutional commitment, and more.

Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride and founder of the Campus Pride Index said, “Campus Pride applauds the growing number of campuses that are ‘coming out’ and wanting to be the ‘Best of the Best’ each year.”

Campus Pride is a national nonprofit organization “by” and “for” student leaders working to create a safer, more inclusive environment for college students through developing resources, programs, and services to support LGBTQ and ally students on college campuses across the nation.

To learn more about how Penn State’s Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity is upholding an open, safer, and inclusive environment, check out its website here. To find support at Penn State as an LGBTQ+ student, check out the resources from the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity listed here.