CHICAGO (Sept. 7, 2023) - UIC has been named by Campus Pride to its "Best of the Best" list of LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges and Universities in the nation. One of 30 nationally to receive this honor, UIC is the only Chicago-based institution on the list and one of two universities in the state of Illinois named. UIC is also the only Missouri Valley Conference member institution named in the Top 30.

"I am extremely proud of UIC's achievement of being recognized among the nation's Top 30 campuses for LGBTQ+ students," said Monica Montgomery, the Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer for the UIC Department of Athletics. "This honor reflects our commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment that supports the vibrant and authentic identities of our LGBTQ+ student community."

Campus Pride is a national organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBTQ students. According to its website, the organization uses the Campus Pride Index, a benchmarking tool that assesses LGBTQ-friendly policies, programs and practices, to determine its rankings. In order to be named to the "Best of the Best" list, an institution had to score in the highest percentage in the LGBTQ-friendly benchmarks for policies, programs and practices.

Click here for the full UIC Today release, written by Brian Flood.