Roughly 17% of college students identify as Queer. Compared to their peers, Queer students are more likely to face harassment and discrimination on campus and experience a lower sense of belonging, which is associated with decreased retention and increased mental health issues. The Campus Pride Index (CPI) provides a nationally benchmarked database of campuses that have come out to improve the academic experience and quality of campus life for Queer students. As such, it is a fundamental tool for prospective students to identify campuses where they will feel safe and supported. Because the CPI does not capture the lived campus experiences of Queer students, it recommends campuses to conduct and report findings of cultural climate surveys. To determine if this occurred, the websites for a census of colleges and universities in the CPI database (N=214) were searched. Ninety institutions (42.3%) reported having conducted a cultural climate survey, and an independent t-test indicated they had a statistically higher CPI score. However, of those who reported having conducted a cultural climate survey, less than half (46.7%) reported the results publicly. An independent t-test indicated these institutions had a significantly higher CPI score than those who did not publicly report their findings. Additional analyses revealed that residential campuses had a statistically significant difference in CPI scores and a moderate positive association with campus size. There were no statistically significant differences in CPI scores by region, religious affiliation, or minority-serving status. To provide Queer students with the support and safety they need, campuses need to conduct Cultural climate surveys and have them easily accessible to the public. Such transparency of the results demonstrates their commitment to creating and fostering an inclusive environment.
