Two Bay Area Colleges are Among Nation's LBGTQ Friendliest

Two Bay Area universities are ranked in the top 10 most LGBTQ-friendly university in the nation, according to a higher education website.

Stanford was ranked No. 2 and UC Berkeley No. 6 on Affordable Colleges Online’s a list of the top 23 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning friendly campuses. ACO is a website that helps students and families find affordable higher education options.

Both schools were praised for providing a resource center for LGBTQ students.

Stanford’s LGBT Community Resources Center, which provides students with a welcoming place to meet fellow students and learn more about the community, according to the website. The school also provides mentors for students seeking extra support as well as special services to transgender students.

UC Berkley’s Gender Equity Resource Center provides a number services to students, alumni, faculty and staff. Berkeley also has an LGBT sorority, a group for Jewish members of the community, and a residence hall for students enrolled in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender studies minor.

To make it onto the list of affordable LGBTQ-friendly colleges, schools were required to have an LGBTQ student organization, gender inclusive dorms, and a policy of LGBTQ inclusion.

The ranking also included factors such as LGBTQ health and counseling services, as well as available LGBTQ/Gender Studies programs. The schools were then scored on retention and graduation rates.