Over the past couple of years, there has been an emphasis on creating a better environment and experience for LGBTQ+ college students. Campus Pride recently came out with a list of the best colleges for LGBTQ+ students and NIU made the list. 

Campus Pride is a nonprofit organization whose sole focus is to have its student leaders and campus groups create a safer space for its LGBTQ+ students. Each year the organization chooses 40 campuses that are the ‘best of the best’ for LGBTQ+ students. This is based on the campuses’ overall ratings on the Campus Pride index and benchmark measures they have in place. 

To make the list a university has to score the highest percentages in policies, programs and practices. NIU made the list by getting a Campus Pride index rating of five out of five stars. NIU was able to score this rating due to its commitment to LGBTQ+ issues, LGBTQ+ organization, and constant inclusion around the community as support. Other Illinois schools that made the list are Southern Illinois University Carbondale and University of Illinois at Chicago.  

Campus Pride chose NIU to make the list because they are the standard as to how to include the LGBTQ+ community. Here’s hope for more awards like this in the future.