SDSU Ranked No. 11 Among Best Colleges for LGBTQ Students
The Pride Center and LGBT studies major are cited as major assets.
The evaluation looks at academic excellence and affordability metrics, as well as a Campus Pride Index, a tool that compares LGBT-friendly policies, programs and practices on college campuses.
Earlier this year, the Campus Pride Index gave SDSU five out of five stars—solidifying the university’s spot on its 2017 “Best of the Best Top 25 list of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities across the country. SDSU has been included in this list for the past eight years.
The recent Best Colleges and Campus Pride ranking is different than previous evaluations in that it assigns each college or university a specific rank based upon categorical ratings, findings and scores. Prior lists recognized 25 “best” colleges, but not in any particular order.
Creating an LGBTQ-friendly campus
Among SDSU’s assets, Best Colleges cites the Pride Center; the university’s LGBT studies major—only the second of its kind in North America; and the annual Lavender Graduation ceremony, which celebrate the achievements of graduating LGBTQ students and also awards faculty and staff who have enhanced campus climate for these diverse Aztecs.Students, faculty and staff also celebrate San Diego Pride Week annually. On July 7, SDSU hosted its 10th annual Rainbow Flag Raising Ceremony to ring in a week of LGBTQ-friendly festivities.
Another related program is SafeZones@SDSU. Established in 2007, SafeZones@SDSU works to ensure the campus atmosphere is welcoming, informative, educational, and safe for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and ally students, faculty, staff, administrators and members of the campus community.
The program stages numerous events including National Coming Out Day and the Lavender Graduation ceremony for students who openly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or intersexed.
SDSU students can join a number of LGBTQ-friendly student organizations, including the LGBT Student Union, the queer-based social sorority Gamma Rho Lambda, and Delta Lambda Phi, a national social fraternity for gay, bisexual and progressive men.
