Beyond the Score: Investigating the Relationship Between the Campus Pride Index and Perceived Student Support

The Campus Pride Index (CPI) is often used as a litmus test for assessing the level of LGBTQ+ inclusion and support within higher education institutions. However, little research has explicitly examined the relationship between CPI rating and LGBTQ+ students’ perceptions of supportiveness. To explore this, the study analyzed 118,244 student responses about their institution’s support for diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Results indicate that at top-rated CPI institutions, LGBQ+ students had lower perceptions of support than their peers. This article discusses the implications of these results, focusing on how institutions may uncritically utilize CPI as the ceiling for LGBTQ+ support rather than a minimum, with ideas for how student affairs practitioners can utilize CPI while also going beyond CPI’s metrics.