Rural LGBTQ+ College Students in U.S. Higher Education: An Asset-Based Examination of Engaging Interactions and Institutional Environments

Rural LGBTQ+ college students remain understudied in higher education. This study provides one of the few large-scale, multi-institutional quantitative examinations of this student population. Using 2023–2025 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data from nearly 300,000 first-year and senior students across 872 four-year institutions in the U.S., we combined variable-centered regression analyses and person-centered cluster analyses to examine engaging interactions with others and engaging institutional environments. We found distinct patterns of engagement associated with rural background, LGBTQ+ identity, and their intersection. Rural students reported less frequent engagement in some interactions with others but generally had more positive perceptions of their environment. LGBTQ+ students, however, had more frequent engaging interactions with others but a less favorable view of their environment. The interaction between rural and LGBTQ+ identities was positive across all engagement outcomes. The person-centered analyses further emphasize the non-monolithic nature of rural LGBTQ+ experiences. Interpreted through an asset-based perspective informed by queer(ed) rural cultural wealth, these findings complicate prevailing deficit narratives while identifying the need for further research on the unique experiences and assets of rural LGBTQ+ college students. The study demonstrates the value of more nuanced, critical approaches to rural higher education research, policy, and institutional practice.