Since you’re getting quite a list of recommendations, I’ve gone ahead and sorted most of them by my guesses as to what your kid’s chances might be. Additionally, schools in the low probability category are there because the odds are lower, but I do think your kid would have a legitimate shot at any of the schools on this list. The schools in bold are those that I added in this particular post.
Extremely Likely (80-99+%)
Ithaca (NY): About 4600 undergrads
Keene State
Suffolk
U. of Hartford
Virginia Commonwealth
Wheaton (MA)
Likely (60-79%)
Allegheny (PA )
Bard (NY)
Hampshire (MA)
Muhlenberg (PA )
Sarah Lawrence (NY)
SUNY Albany (NY)
SUNY New Paltz (NY)
The College of New Jersey: About 7k undergrads
U. of Massachusetts - Amherst
U. of Vermont
Toss-Up (40-59%)
American (D.C.)
Clark (MA)
Connecticut College
Gettysburg (PA )
Oberlin (OH)
Fordham (NY)
U. of Pittsburgh (PA ) - it has rolling admissions so if your kid applies early (like August/September), it can potentially turn into a sure thing early on
Lower Probability (20-39%)
Brandeis (MA)
Dickinson (PA )
Lehigh (PA )
Skidmore (NY)
Trinity (CT)
U. of Rochester (NY) – closer to toss-up
Low Probability (less than 20%)
Tufts (MA)
Vassar (NY)
Wesleyan (CT)
ETA: A caveat here is that for schools that say they meet 100% of need but are not need-blind. If a school costs $85k and Family A can pay $50k and Family B can pay $15k, and the families have similarly strong kids, Family A is usually going to get the nod. The more need a family has, the lower the chances at a meet-need school that is not need blind, but that does not mean the chances are impossible, but something to definitely be aware of.
Oops! I totally missed Pitt & Allegheny and have since added them. Gettysburg has been added, too, but I admit that I do have concerns about it (and Lehigh) as an appropriate fit for the OP’s kid, but I knew OP was particularly interested in Lehigh. And I left off @Shelby_Balik’s rec for Emerson because it doesn’t have a political science/policy major listed on College Navigator, and I’m also unsure about the Trinity vibe for OP’s kid, but I could be wrong. (I did end up putting Trinity as a lower probability bucket as it does have the benefit of being close to the state capitol.)
Admittedly my main reason for suggesting Gettysburg is I believe they attract a decent number of politico/policy people, not least thanks to the Eisenhower Institute:
It is the home for a bunch of cool programs, and also the Eisenhower Scholarship, which sounded like a potential match for the OP’s kid:
Generally they are one of the colleges I think of as actually more of a DC-orbit school even though they are in PA, although I think proximity to Harrisburg (the PA capital) is also an attraction for politicos.
And then they got a 4.5 rating from Campus Pride, although as we discussed that is not a definitive answer!
Anyway, obviously the OP can take it from here, but that was my reasoning.
It is perfect for the quirky / queer student. We sat at a table on admitted student days with parents of both gay and trans students.
Has political science. Does not have Public Policy but they have a pretty unique 5th year free masters in public administration (MPA) you can pair with various undergrad degrees.
Also take a look at Drew University for a likely option. Their NY semesters might appeal to your child. The student body felt very warm when I visited. Other schools I thought of that were previously mentioned- Muhlenberg, Clark, Sarah Lawrence, Bard, Skidmore, Brandeis, Ithaca
Try the net price calculator on the web site of each college.
If the net price for a given college is too high, then the student is aiming for a large enough merit scholarship, not just admission, to that college, which means that the reach/match/likely/safety classification must be based on the large enough merit scholarship, not just admission.
Note that Campus Pride Index mainly focuses on college administrative policies, not general social environment on campus or the surrounding community, or the effects of state laws in the state the college is in. I.e. it can be useful, but not the whole story regarding the quality of life aspects at a given college.
Also note that the acceptance of T may be different (usually worse) than of LGB in many places. T-women may be less accepted than T-men in some places.
It’s a big reach but I’m suprised no one has mentioned Brown-RISD dual degree. Grades are low for Brown, sure, but not so low that I wouldn’t consider it.
Just want to wish you and your child the best of luck finding a school that fits. We just finished the college search process with our artsy transgender kid. I agree with many on here to visit as many schools as you can to check out the student vibe. Grabbing a snack, coffee or a meal on campus we’re fun and beneficial.