National Campus Pride Index

ECU EARNS PREMIER CAMPUS DISTINCTION

Campus Pride Index award rating of 4.5

East Carolina University has been recognized by Campus Pride for its institutional commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policy, program, and practice. ECU received a 4.5-star rating based on a five-point scale on the Campus Pride Index, which is the primary LGBTQ national benchmarking tool for assisting college campuses to create safer, more inclusive campus communities and learning environments.

An ECU leadership team from the Division of Student Affairs provided Campus Pride with documentation from eight LGBTQ-friendly inclusive categories: policy, support and institutional commitment, academic life, student life, housing and residence life, campus safety, counseling and health, and recruitment and retention.

The overall 4.5-star rating earns ECU the designation of Premier Campus. In fact, ECU scored a perfect 5-star rating in the categories of LGBTQ support and institutional commitment and campus safety.  ECU, along with UNC Greensboro, received the highest score among UNC System institutions participating in the Campus Pride Index.

Adding to our institutional commitment to LGBTQ inclusion, the Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center in the Main Campus Student Center (opened in January 2019), is the largest center of its kind in the UNC system.

The Campus Pride Index is an excellent resource for students and their families who are seeking LGBTQ friendly campuses and serves as a valuable recruiting instrument for the University. Prospective students, families/parents, and those interested in higher education can search a database of LGBTQ-friendly campuses committed to improve the academic experience and quality of campus life.

Click here to learn more about Campus Pride and the ECU report card.

Campus Pride is the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create safer, more LGBTQ-friendly learning environments at colleges and universities.  Since 2007, the Campus Pride Index has been the premier LGBTQ national benchmarking tool for colleges and universities to create safer, more inclusive campus communities.  The free online tool allows prospective students, families/parents, and those interested in higher education to search a database of LGBTQ-friendly campuses who have come out to improve the academic experience and quality of campus life.

In June 2021, in commemoration of LGBTQ Pride Month, Student Loan Hero released the results of a national study of the most affordable LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities in the United States.  Student Loan Hero researchers culled colleges and universities with a four-star rating or higher in the Campus Pride Index and ranked these schools based on affordability. ECU was ranked #12 in the nation, the highest ranking for any college or university in North Carolina.