NIU is the most LGBTQ+ friendly college in Illinois.
Recently released by BestColleges, in partnership with Campus Pride, the ranking is the latest in a string of recognitions based on NIU’s campus-wide efforts to ensure all Huskies feel welcome, included and valued.
University leaders say this most recent honor—based not only on targeted support programs for LGBTQ+ students, but also overall campus climate, policies, admissions programs, recruitment efforts and more—reflects the university’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as a whole and the leadership position NIU now holds nationwide in this area.
“In a state like Illinois, with institutions that do value inclusion, we don’t take lightly the fact that what we’re doing brought us to that level of being the best,” said Molly Holmes, the director for the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC). “I couldn’t be more thrilled that we rose to the top because we all work very hard, and we do take this level of support very seriously. We take this recognition as motivation to keep going and continue to build upon our efforts, as we know there is always room to grow.
“Our LGBTQ+ students matter, and I think our thoughtfulness and our nuances are paying off with this particular recognition.”
Seen as an authority in the industry and a trusted education advisor since 2013, BestColleges used the national Campus Pride Index and its own ranking methodology emphasizing college affordability and academic metrics, including admissions, enrollment, graduation and accreditation, to determine the rankings. A complete list of the best colleges for LGBTQ+ students in each state can be found here.
The national Campus Pride Index previously awarded NIU 5 out of 5 stars—the highest possible rating and the university’s highest ranking yet.
The university also was named among Campus Pride’s 2022 Best of the Best Colleges and Universities for LGTBTQ+ students in the United States. Campus Pride sets the bar for LGBTQ-inclusive polices, programs and practices and is used as a tool by LGBTQ+ students and their families and allies to choose colleges and universities.
Recognitions like these involve campus-wide efforts, said Holmes, who credited the university’s leadership, as well as faculty, staff and students supporting countless programs, events, classes and initiatives both inside and outside the classroom.
Especially at a time when LGBTQ+ rights are being threatened with proposed anti-trans laws in other states, students know they have a network of support and advocacy at NIU and will receive individualized help when they need it, Holmes said.
“There are other institutions in the state doing great work and working really hard,” she said. “Students do have a choice… But when you’re the best in terms of LGBTQ+ inclusion, that does mean something for students who are not only LGBTQ+, but also for students and their families who value and support LGBTQ+ rights and the LGBTQ+ students in their lives.”
Along with financial aid and admissions programs and policies that broaden opportunities for underrepresented students, NIU offers a popular LGBTQA living-learning community, inclusive restrooms, self-reporting gender identity, numerous ally programs, university retention priorities that name LGBTQ+ students, opportunities for faculty to transform pedagogy to be queer and trans-inclusive and more.
“I think that we are the ones to watch,” said Katy Jaekel, acting director of NIU’s Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality (CSWGS). Jaekel will officially become the center’s director on July 1.
“I think we are the leaders in a lot of this, and this is an opportunity for other institutions to see some of the things we’re doing. That’s really exciting,” they said. “It’s also not the end. It gives us more to push for because we know we can do more. This recognition is really important to showcase the hard work that’s gone on, and it’s a really good way for students to learn they’re going to be valued and included here.”
Along with their director role, Jaekel is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Higher Education. Their current research looks at how queer and transgender students navigate college experiences, mainly in the classroom.
At NIU, it’s clear faculty and staff genuinely want to provide support and work in partnership with departments throughout campus, Jaekel said.
“People show up and help here. People want students to succeed. I think that’s what makes us the leader,” they said.
“In a world seemingly becoming divided, NIU is one of the reasons I continue to have hope. I also think that this isn’t just for students. This has been an institution that has supported me as a trans-identifying faculty member, and I’m grateful every day for the support I’ve gotten.”
