UIC Named a Top 25 LGBT-Friendly Campus

The University of Illinois at Chicago has been named one of the nation’s best 25 campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in a new data-based ranking.

The list, produced by Campus Pride and Huffington Post, is based on data from the Campus Pride Index, which rates colleges and universities based on LGBT-friendly policies, programs, and practices.

UIC garnered a five-star rating, the highest possible, for its overall campus climate score and in the categories of policy inclusion, support and institutional commitment, student life, campus safety, counseling and health, and recruitment and retention efforts.

“UIC has a vibrant and diverse community of LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff who make our campus a truly remarkable place,” says Megan Carney, director of UIC’s Gender and Sexuality Center. “The center is fortunate and proud to partner with other units and departments across campus that are invested in LGBTQ inclusion and help to make UIC a welcoming living and learning environment for all.”

The index, which features almost 350 U.S. colleges and universities, is based on answers provided by participating institutions in a comprehensive questionnaire submitted to Campus Pride. It also considers assessments by students, faculty and staff. It is widely used in student and faculty research, campus organizing efforts, and benchmarking for LGBT student safety and inclusion on campus.

The index is searchable by ranking, location, and size and type of institution.

UIC ranks among the nation’s leading research universities and is Chicago’s largest university with 27,500 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state’s major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.