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Spotlight on Speech Codes
FIRE publishes an annual speech code report that condenses the considerable research in our Spotlight database into an accessible picture of the state of free expression on our nation’s campuses, providing readers with key data on individual schools and national trends.
![Spotlight on Speech Codes](/sites/default/files/styles/500x300/public/2021/02/26161628/Spotlight_on_speechcodes_feature.png.webp?itok=amW03VGE)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2024
Nearly 9 in 10 top U.S. colleges and universities have at least one policy that restricts student speech. Do you know which ones? FIRE’s 2024 Spotlight on Speech Codes report rates 489 of America’s top colleges and universities on the degree to which their policies restrict student speech.
![FIRE’s 2024 Spotlight on Speech Codes report rates 489 of America’s top colleges and universities on the degree to which their policies restrict student speech.](/sites/default/files/styles/640x360/public/2024/01/Spotlight%20on%20speech%20codes_featuredimg%20%281%29.png.webp?itok=SVCt_KL-)
Previous Speech Code Reports
![Red yellow and green lamps wrapped in the first amendment](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2022/12/Spotlight_Featured%20Image.png.webp?itok=IQSfyn36)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2023
Reports
Of the 486 schools included in FIRE’s Spotlight database, 94 earn an overall “red light” rating for maintaining policies that clearly and substantially restrict free speech.
![Spotlight on Speech Codes 2022](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2021/12/01122214/spotlight-2022-featured.png.webp?itok=MSoueE18)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2022
Reports
The report reveals that 18.5% of the 481 colleges and universities analyzed maintain “red light” policies that infringe upon students' free speech rights.
![Spotlight on Speech Codes 2021](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2020/12/03141522/SCR2021_Feature_image.png.webp?itok=XNjPM3Ne)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2021
Reports
Most college students in the United States should be able to expect that freedom of expression will be upheld on their campuses. For our 2021 report, FIRE surveyed the written policies of 478 colleges and universities, evaluating their compliance with First Amendment standards.
![Spotlight on Speech Codes 2020](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2019/12/03141154/speech-code-report-2020-featured.png.webp?itok=GIsq7aRe)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2020
Reports
The percentage of schools earning an overall “red light” rating in FIRE’s Spotlight database has gone down for the twelfth year in a row, this year to 24.2%. which is exactly 50 percentage points lower than the percentage of red light institutions in FIRE’s 2009 report.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2019/12/04102552/spotlight-on-speech-codes-2019-cvr.png.webp?itok=uhoamceg)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2019
Reports
The percentage of schools earning an overall “red light” rating in FIRE's Spotlight database has gone down for the eleventh year in a row.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2017/12/19102630/scr-2018-cvr-pubs-landing.jpg.webp?itok=Xr6HZa3B)
Spotlight On Speech Codes 2018
Reports
FIRE surveyed 461 colleges and universities for this report and found that 32.3% of those schools maintain severely restrictive, “red light” speech codes that clearly and substantially prohibit constitutionally protected speech.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2020/12/08154342/spotlight-speechcodes2017-cvr.jpg.webp?itok=8f7TN3OR)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2017
Reports
As of September 2016, 27 schools received a green light rating from FIRE. This number is up from 22 schools as of last year’s report.
![spotlight on speech code report 2016 cover](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2022/08/spotlight%20on%20speech%20code%20report%202016%20cover.jpeg.webp?itok=Zh6tlDw3)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2016
Reports
While speech codes declined overall, FIRE did see a continued increase in restrictive harassment policies in response to the federal government’s unprecedented intervention into universities’ handling of sexual harassment claims.
![2015 Spotlight on Speech Codes Report Cover](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2022/08/2015%20Spotlight%20on%20Speech%20Codes%20Report%20Cover.png.webp?itok=2qSKnCJC)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2015
Reports
As FIRE predicted in last year’s report, the May 2013 federal “blueprint” for sexual assault policies and practices has continued to have a negative effect on campus free speech rights.
![Spotlight on Speech Codes 2014 cover](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2022/08/Spotlight-on-Speech-Codes-2014-cover.png.webp?itok=qfDXGnWw)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2014
Reports
FIRE surveyed 427 schools for this report and found that more than half maintain severely restrictive speech codes that clearly prohibit protected speech. While unacceptable, there is good news: For the sixth year in a row, the percentage of schools maintaining such policies has declined.
![Spotlight on Speech Codes 2013](/sites/default/files/styles/334x250/public/2022/12/Spotlight%20on%20Speech%20Codes%202013.png.webp?itok=fRS3tn1l)
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2013
Reports
FIRE surveyed 409 schools for this report and found that over 62 percent maintain severely restrictive, “red-light” speech codes—policies that clearly and substantially prohibit protected speech.