Minoritized students (e.g. BIPOC, low-income, first-generation, LGBTQ+, women in STEM) at predominantly white colleges and universities encounter hostile institutional climates and system level barriers to retention and promotion (Havlik et al., 2020). These barriers persist across all levels of higher education; from undergraduate through doctoral training. Understanding factors that support minoritized students in higher education can provide critical guidance for higher education administrators working towards equity change. In this symposium, presenters will discuss three studies highlighting factors that impact important aspects of wellbeing for minoritized students in higher education. The first presentation will describe how on campus natural mentors impact mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ first-generation college students. The second presentation will focus on the development of on campus social belonging for diverse first-generation college students who were freshman when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The final presentation will describe a study examining the intersectional nature of mental health for minoritized women in STEM PhD training programs. Recommendations for system level interventions to address institutional climate within higher education settings will be discussed.