Stonewall’s University Guide is for all lesbian, gay and bisexual students and all those in between. It will help you make sure that you choose a university that will welcome you and support you in being yourself.

Choosing a university can be a tricky business. There are lots of things to think about: the course, the campus, the people, the fees, and so on. You would probably like to go to a university that makes an effort to include lesbian, gay and bisexual people too. But how do you go about finding out?

Can you assume that because a university is practically sitting atop Britain’s most thriving gay village it’s going to be the best one for you? Unfortunately not. All universities are different and some have taken big steps to make their gay students feel welcome; others less so.

But fear not! Stonewall wants to save you the hassle of trawling through every website for the briefest mention of lesbians, or trying to spot gay students and tutors at open days.  On this site you’ll find all the information you need to decide whether a university is gay-friendly or not. We’ve made this guide for LGB students thinking about applying to university so you can find out how gay-friendly each of the 150 UK universities really are and what they have to offer you.

So what if the universities you’re thinking of don’t score highly here? Email them to ask what they’re doing and what their plans are. Don’t forget, you are paying for them to provide you with a service, and you deserve your money’s worth.

Choosing to go to university, and then choosing which university to go to, are big decisions. We hope this guide will help you make up your mind. There’s lots of useful information about applying and getting the best out of your time as a student. Good luck – and please let us know how you get on! 

What does this guide include?

You’ll find here profiles of every university in the UK.

Each profile has -

Key info: The University’s contact details, their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual society website address (if there is one), fees and average entry requirements.

University description: A bit about the University, its unique selling points, the student LGB society and the local gay scene.

Checklist: An at-a-glance indicator of how gay-friendly a university is by showing what provision they offer to LGB students.

Other relevant stuff: Nuggets of information and trivia which you might find useful when making your choice. For example, has a university given an honorary degree to someone who isn’t supportive of gay equality? Or have they awarded one to an important gay equality supporter?

There’s also an opportunity to add your own comments and opinions. The people who really know what it’s like at a University are the students themselves, and we’re really keen to hear about your experiences. Future students will want to hear from you, so please get in touch.

The rest of this guide contains useful pages about applying to university and, in particular, information specific to help those who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

    * Why go to university
    * What to study
    * Where to study
    * How to apply
    * Money stuff
    * Accommodation
    * Knowing your rights
    * Staying healthy and safe
    * Oxford and Cambridge
    * Useful links

We hope you find this guide useful. Always remember that you're paying your university to let you study there, so they owe you a certain level of service. You should never put up with second-best just because of your sexuality so make sure your universities are doing everything they should be.