These 50 universities are making strides in providing a safe environment, especially for LGBT students.
Non-profit organization Campus Pride released a list of the most LGBT-friendly colleges and universities in the United States based on each school's ratings in LGBT student academic, housing and various other campus life factors.
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Campus Pride used an index of research tools to assess each institution's policies, programs and practices that work toward an inclusive and safe environment for LGBT and heterosexual ally students.
A wide range of institutions from Ivy League universities like Harvard and Brown University to large state schools like Northern Arizona University and University of California, Los Angeles are among the many choices available to LGBT students looking at the next steps in their education.
Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer said in an interview with Mashable that last year's list only featured 25 universities, and that the increase in the schools recognized serves as proof that "universities want to be known as LGBT-friendly."
The following list is presented in alphabetical order.
Amherst College
Augsburg College
Brown University
Central Washington University
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Emory University
Harvard University
Indiana University
Ithaca College
Macalester College
Northern Arizona University
Oberlin College
Oregon State University
Pomona College
Portland State University
Princeton University
Rutgers University
San Diego State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Oregon University
Stanford University Syracuse University
The Ohio State University
The Pennsylvania State University
Tulane University University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota – Duluth
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Rhode Island
University of Southern California
University of Vermont
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Waren Wilson College
Washington State University
Washington University in St. Louis
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