A sweeping new survey of campus free speech reveals that nearly two-thirds of American colleges and universities are failing to foster environments supportive of open dialogue, with conservative students increasingly joining their liberal counterparts in opposing controversial speakers on campus.
For the first time in the survey's six-year history, a majority of students oppose allowing any of six controversial speakers—three conservative and three liberal—to speak on their campuses. The comprehensive study, conducted with survey partner College Pulse, analyzed responses from 68,510 students nationwide.
Claremont McKenna College claimed the top ranking for campus free speech climate, followed by Purdue University and the University of Chicago. At the bottom of the rankings were Barnard College, Columbia University, and Indiana University, all receiving failing grades.
"This year, students largely opposed allowing any controversial campus speaker, no matter that speaker's politics," said FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff. "Rather than hearing out and then responding to an ideological opponent, both liberal and conservative college students are retreating from the encounter entirely."
The findings come amid heightened tensions on college campuses following widespread protests over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and increased scrutiny of higher education under the current administration. The survey found that 53% of students consider the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a difficult topic to discuss openly on campus, with this figure reaching 90% at Barnard College.
Perhaps most concerning to free speech advocates was the finding that one in three students now holds some level of acceptance for resorting to violence to stop campus speeches they oppose—a record high.
"More students than ever think violence and chaos are acceptable alternatives to peaceful protest," said FIRE Chief Research Advisor Sean Stevens. "This finding cuts across partisan lines. It is not a liberal or conservative problem—it's an American problem."
The survey revealed additional troubling trends in campus climate.
Only 36% of students said their administration clearly protects free speech on campus, and just 11 schools received grades of C or higher for their speech climate. The lowest-performing institutions were characterized by restrictive speech policies and incidents involving speaker cancellations and suppression of student protests.
However, some institutions showed improvement. Schools like Dartmouth College and Vanderbilt University, which recently implemented programs supporting free speech and open discourse, saw their rankings rise significantly.
"Even one egregious anti-free speech incident can destroy students' trust in their administration and cause a school to plummet in the rankings," said FIRE Vice President of Research Angela C. Erickson.
The rankings methodology evaluates institutions based on student survey responses covering various aspects of campus expression, from administrative support for controversial speakers to student comfort levels discussing sensitive topics.
FIRE, a nonpartisan organization focused on defending individual rights to free speech and thought, noted that the findings reflect broader societal polarization affecting higher education institutions nationwide.
