The five most LGBTQIA+ friendly UK cities for students have been revealed. Research conducted by University Compare analysed six metrics to create an index to determine the top five ranking cities.
The study scrutinised 42 UK cities and compared the total LGBTQIA+ population in a city, rate of recorded LGBTQIA+ hate crimes, inclusivity of local mental health services and residents’ interest in engaging with LGBTQIA+ social groups.
In addition, they reviewed data on the city’s queer clubs and online search interest in the city’s annual Pride event. The information was gathered together and each category was given a score.
These combined totals revealed the best UK cities to be an LGBTQIA+ student. In fifth spot, overall, is Edinburgh. The Scottish capital had a low recorded incidence rate of 0.49 LGBTQIA+ hate crimes per 1000 people, as well as a 3.5/5 score on Tripadvisor for its nightlife.