Data suggests the importance of an inclusive campus is increasing

The percentage of students identifying as LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual) has increased across UK universities, rising to over a quarter in some higher education institutions.

Data from the Office of Students (OfS) reveals that at universities such as Norwich University of the Arts and Arts University Bournemouth, LGB students make up 29 percent of the student body. This data suggests that higher proportions of LGB students attend institutions focused specifically on the arts and humanities.

The University of Warwick too has seen a rise in the number of students identifying as LGB. OfS data collected from 2020-2021 shows that 7.6% of full-time undergraduates identified as LGB. By 2023-2024, this percentage had increased to 8.8%.

As a result of this nationwide increase, further research has been conducted into the experiences of LGB students during their time in higher education.

A recent study conducted by Erobella, involving 2000 UK university students, aimed to assess how welcomed LGB students felt by university campuses by ranking their experiences out of ten.

Warwick Pride … has developed into a society for all queer identities to exist and socialise free from judgement

Warwick Pride

60% of LGB students rated their experience a 7/10 or higher, suggesting that while the majority’s experience of higher education leans towards being positive, there is space for improvement in terms of the inclusivity of UK universities.

In this study, the University of Brighton was ranked the top UK university for LGB inclusivity, scoring 8.7/10.

Reacting to this, a student on the University of Brighton website said: “We will continue to lead by example and show the world the transformative power of authenticity and love.”

At the University of Warwick, there are societies designed to build inclusive spaces for members of the LGBTQIA+ community such as Warwick Pride. These societies aim to ensure that those who identify as LGBTQIA+ feel welcomed and create an accepting and safe environment for all who are part of the Warwick community.

Warwick Pride told The Boar: “Having been founded as a Gay Liberation Group in 1971 by Michael Hunter, to ‘alleviate the dreadful loneliness that University life can mean to one who is never able to be [themselves]’, … Warwick Pride has continued to be guided by this principle and has developed into a society for all queer identities to exist and socialise free from judgement.”