Table of Contents
2020 Free Speech Rankings Tables
Research & Learn
How acceptable would you say it is for students to engage in the following action to protest a campus speaker:
Removing flyers or other advertisements for an upcoming speaker or event on campus |
---|
Always Acceptable |
6% |
Sometimes Acceptable |
23% |
Rarely Acceptable |
34% |
Never Acceptable |
36% |
Shouting down a speaker or trying to prevent them from speaking on campus |
Always Acceptable |
4% |
Sometimes Acceptable |
23% |
Rarely Acceptable |
34% |
Never Acceptable |
39% |
Blocking other students from entering a campus event |
Always Acceptable |
2% |
Sometimes Acceptable |
9% |
Rarely Acceptable |
26% |
Never Acceptable |
63% |
Using violence to stop a speech or event on campus |
Always Acceptable |
1% |
Sometimes Acceptable |
3% |
Rarely Acceptable |
13% |
Never Acceptable |
82% |
Table 1. Top Colleges Overall for Free Speech
Rank |
---|
1 |
School |
University of Chicago |
Overall Score |
64.19 |
Liberal Score |
63.1 |
Conservative Score |
59.92 |
Rank |
2 |
School |
Kansas State University |
Overall Score |
57.31 |
Liberal Score |
48.4 |
Conservative Score |
62.46 |
Rank |
3 |
School |
Texas A&M University |
Overall Score |
56.22 |
Liberal Score |
45.6 |
Conservative Score |
62.83 |
Rank |
4 |
School |
University of California-Los Angeles |
Overall Score |
55.8 |
Liberal Score |
57.75 |
Conservative Score |
54.64 |
Rank |
5 |
School |
Arizona State University |
Overall Score |
55.64 |
Liberal Score |
52.15 |
Conservative Score |
58.42 |
Rank |
6 |
School |
University of Virginia |
Overall Score |
55.62 |
Liberal Score |
55.02 |
Conservative Score |
57.59 |
Rank |
7 |
School |
Duke University |
Overall Score |
55.36 |
Liberal Score |
54.87 |
Conservative Score |
54.38 |
Rank |
8 |
School |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
Overall Score |
55.34 |
Liberal Score |
51.97 |
Conservative Score |
57.25 |
Rank |
9 |
School |
Brown University |
Overall Score |
55.32 |
Liberal Score |
54.72 |
Conservative Score |
51.62 |
Rank |
10 |
School |
University of Arizona |
Overall Score |
55.32 |
Liberal Score |
51.93 |
Conservative Score |
55.73 |
Rank |
11 |
School |
University of Tennessee |
Overall Score |
55.23 |
Liberal Score |
47.35 |
Conservative Score |
59.05 |
Rank |
12 |
School |
Yale University |
Overall Score |
55.02 |
Liberal Score |
56.42 |
Conservative Score |
51.02 |
Rank |
13 |
School |
University of Missouri |
Overall Score |
54.59 |
Liberal Score |
47.82 |
Conservative Score |
57.98 |
Rank |
14 |
School |
Rutgers-the State University of New Jersey |
Overall Score |
54.47 |
Liberal Score |
51.69 |
Conservative Score |
55.2 |
Rank |
15 |
School |
University of Washington |
Overall Score |
54.17 |
Liberal Score |
52.1 |
Conservative Score |
53.82 |
Rank |
16 |
School |
University of Colorado[10] |
Overall Score |
54.13 |
Liberal Score |
53.54 |
Conservative Score |
52.37 |
Rank |
17 |
School |
Northwestern University |
Overall Score |
54.06 |
Liberal Score |
51.77 |
Conservative Score |
48.76 |
Rank |
18 |
School |
Indiana University |
Overall Score |
54 |
Liberal Score |
50.96 |
Conservative Score |
54.37 |
Rank |
19 |
School |
University of Iowa |
Overall Score |
53.95 |
Liberal Score |
51.52 |
Conservative Score |
55.21 |
Rank |
20 |
School |
University of Utah |
Overall Score |
53.92 |
Liberal Score |
51.18 |
Conservative Score |
53.26 |
Rank |
21 |
School |
Columbia University |
Overall Score |
53.88 |
Liberal Score |
54.09 |
Conservative Score |
46.04 |
Rank |
22 |
School |
University of Oregon |
Overall Score |
53.83 |
Liberal Score |
53.46 |
Conservative Score |
49.19 |
Rank |
23 |
School |
Washington State University |
Overall Score |
53.83 |
Liberal Score |
48.13 |
Conservative Score |
55.9 |
Rank |
24 |
School |
University of California-Davis |
Overall Score |
53.7 |
Liberal Score |
53.36 |
Conservative Score |
50.09 |
Rank |
25 |
School |
Pennsylvania State University |
Overall Score |
53.45 |
Liberal Score |
52.93 |
Conservative Score |
54.53 |
Rank |
26 |
School |
University of Arkansas |
Overall Score |
53.42 |
Liberal Score |
45.7 |
Conservative Score |
57.68 |
Rank |
27 |
School |
University of Minnesota |
Overall Score |
53.42 |
Liberal Score |
52.12 |
Conservative Score |
52.35 |
Rank |
28 |
School |
University of California-Berkeley |
Overall Score |
53.31 |
Liberal Score |
52.81 |
Conservative Score |
51.04 |
Rank |
29 |
School |
Princeton University |
Overall Score |
53.27 |
Liberal Score |
52.46 |
Conservative Score |
50.25 |
Rank |
30 |
School |
Ohio State University |
Overall Score |
53.15 |
Liberal Score |
52.43 |
Conservative Score |
52.97 |
Rank |
31 |
School |
University of Nebraska |
Overall Score |
52.99 |
Liberal Score |
46.97 |
Conservative Score |
54.95 |
Rank |
32 |
School |
University of Pennsylvania |
Overall Score |
52.78 |
Liberal Score |
52.04 |
Conservative Score |
53.07 |
Rank |
33 |
School |
University of Texas at Dallas |
Overall Score |
52.74 |
Liberal Score |
51.08 |
Conservative Score |
52.48 |
Rank |
34 |
School |
University of Michigan |
Overall Score |
52.66 |
Liberal Score |
52.96 |
Conservative Score |
48.66 |
Rank |
35 |
School |
Stanford University |
Overall Score |
52.44 |
Liberal Score |
53.5 |
Conservative Score |
51.64 |
Rank |
36 |
School |
Clemson University |
Overall Score |
52.25 |
Liberal Score |
43.75 |
Conservative Score |
56.11 |
Rank |
37 |
School |
University of North Carolina |
Overall Score |
52.11 |
Liberal Score |
53.91 |
Conservative Score |
52.38 |
Rank |
38 |
School |
University of Oklahoma |
Overall Score |
51.43 |
Liberal Score |
47.64 |
Conservative Score |
53.46 |
Rank |
39 |
School |
University of Alabama |
Overall Score |
51.29 |
Liberal Score |
41.18 |
Conservative Score |
58.58 |
Rank |
40 |
School |
Cornell University |
Overall Score |
51.2 |
Liberal Score |
51.32 |
Conservative Score |
50.88 |
Rank |
41 |
School |
University of Wisconsin |
Overall Score |
50.95 |
Liberal Score |
51.42 |
Conservative Score |
52.15 |
Rank |
42 |
School |
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign |
Overall Score |
50.74 |
Liberal Score |
49.65 |
Conservative Score |
51.45 |
Rank |
43 |
School |
University of Georgia |
Overall Score |
50.4 |
Liberal Score |
44.2 |
Conservative Score |
51.23 |
Rank |
44 |
School |
University of Illinois at Chicago |
Overall Score |
50.33 |
Liberal Score |
46.83 |
Conservative Score |
52.07 |
Rank |
45 |
School |
University of South Carolina |
Overall Score |
49.82 |
Liberal Score |
46 |
Conservative Score |
51.29 |
Rank |
46 |
School |
Harvard University |
Overall Score |
49.61 |
Liberal Score |
51.68 |
Conservative Score |
48.2 |
Rank |
47 |
School |
Wake Forest University |
Overall Score |
49.44 |
Liberal Score |
43.34 |
Conservative Score |
48.15 |
Rank |
48 |
School |
Georgetown University |
Overall Score |
49.26 |
Liberal Score |
46.91 |
Conservative Score |
48.34 |
Rank |
49 |
School |
Brigham Young University |
Overall Score |
49.23 |
Liberal Score |
35.31 |
Conservative Score |
59.23 |
Rank |
50 |
School |
Oklahoma State University |
Overall Score |
48.96 |
Liberal Score |
39.72 |
Conservative Score |
52.57 |
Rank |
51 |
School |
Syracuse University |
Overall Score |
48.92 |
Liberal Score |
46.58 |
Conservative Score |
50.17 |
Rank |
52 |
School |
Dartmouth College |
Overall Score |
48.57 |
Liberal Score |
48.21 |
Conservative Score |
47.74 |
Rank |
53 |
School |
Louisiana State University |
Overall Score |
47.85 |
Liberal Score |
40.58 |
Conservative Score |
50.24 |
Rank |
54 |
School |
University of Texas at Austin |
Overall Score |
44.54 |
Liberal Score |
44.98 |
Conservative Score |
46.58 |
Rank |
55 |
School |
DePauw University |
Overall Score |
44.18 |
Liberal Score |
41.13 |
Conservative Score |
44.89 |
Table 2. Top 10 Colleges and FIRE and Chicago Statement Adoption
Rank |
---|
1 |
School |
University of Chicago |
Overall Score |
64.19 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
6298 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
2 |
School |
Kansas State University |
Overall Score |
57.31 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
18,171 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
3 |
School |
Texas A&M University |
Overall Score |
56.22 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
52,568 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
4 |
School |
University of California-Los Angeles |
Overall Score |
55.8 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
30,994 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
5 |
School |
Arizona State University |
Overall Score |
55.64 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
42,181 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
6 |
School |
University of Virginia |
Overall Score |
55.62 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
16,207 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
7 |
School |
Duke University |
Overall Score |
55.36 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
6552 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
8 |
School |
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |
Overall Score |
55.34 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
27,120 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
9 |
School |
Brown University |
Overall Score |
55.32 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
6,752 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
10 |
School |
University of Arizona |
Overall Score |
55.32 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
33,428 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Table 3. Bottom 10 Colleges and FIRE and Chicago Statement Adoption
Rank |
---|
55 |
School |
DePauw University |
Overall Score |
44.18 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
2,137 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
54 |
School |
University of Texas at Austin |
Overall Score |
44.54 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
39,965 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
53 |
School |
Louisiana State University |
Overall Score |
47.85 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
23,331 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
52 |
School |
Dartmouth College |
Overall Score |
48.57 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
4,315 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
51 |
School |
Syracuse University |
Overall Score |
48.92 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
14,788 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
50 |
School |
Oklahoma State University |
Overall Score |
48.96 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
20,743 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
49 |
School |
Brigham Young University |
Overall Score |
49.23 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
31,233 |
FIRE Rating |
Warning |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
48 |
School |
Georgetown University |
Overall Score |
49.26 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
7,128 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
47 |
School |
Wake Forest University |
Overall Score |
49.44 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
5,101 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
46 |
School |
Harvard University |
Overall Score |
49.61 |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
7,532 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Table 4. Top 10 Colleges for Free Speech for Liberal Students
Rank |
---|
1 |
School |
University of Chicago |
Liberal Score |
63.1 |
Percent Liberal |
76% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
6,298 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
2 |
School |
University of California-Los Angeles |
Liberal Score |
57.75 |
Percent Liberal |
61% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
30,994 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
3 |
School |
Yale University |
Liberal Score |
56.42 |
Percent Liberal |
69% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
5,742 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
4 |
School |
University of Virginia |
Liberal Score |
55.02 |
Percent Liberal |
66% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
16,207 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
5 |
School |
Duke University |
Liberal Score |
54.87 |
Percent Liberal |
67% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
6,552 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
6 |
School |
Brown University |
Liberal Score |
54.72 |
Percent Liberal |
82% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
6,670 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
7 |
School |
Columbia University |
Liberal Score |
54.09 |
Percent Liberal |
74% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
8,170 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
8 |
School |
University of North Carolina |
Liberal Score |
53.91 |
Percent Liberal |
64% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
18,658 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
9 |
School |
University of Colorado |
Liberal Score |
53.54 |
Percent Liberal |
58% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
29,753 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
10 |
School |
Stanford University |
Liberal Score |
53.5 |
Percent Liberal |
68% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
7,083 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Table 5. Bottom 10 Colleges for Free Speech for Liberal Students
Rank |
---|
55 |
School |
Brigham Young University |
Score |
35.31 |
Percent Liberal |
26% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
31,233 |
FIRE Rating |
Warning |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
54 |
School |
Oklahoma State University |
Score |
39.72 |
Percent Liberal |
28% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
20,743 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
53 |
School |
Louisiana State University |
Score |
40.58 |
Percent Liberal |
39% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
23,331 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
52 |
School |
DePauw University |
Score |
41.13 |
Percent Liberal |
57% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
2,137 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
51 |
School |
University of Alabama |
Score |
41.18 |
Percent Liberal |
33% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
32,387 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
50 |
School |
Wake Forest University |
Score |
43.34 |
Percent Liberal |
50% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
5,101 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
49 |
School |
Clemson University |
Score |
43.75 |
Percent Liberal |
31% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
19,172 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
48 |
School |
University of Georgia |
Score |
44.2 |
Percent Liberal |
47% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
28,740 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
47 |
School |
University of Texas at Austin |
Score |
44.98 |
Percent Liberal |
62% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
39,965 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
46 |
School |
Texas A&M University |
Score |
45.6 |
Percent Liberal |
32% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
22,763 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Table 6. Top 10 Colleges for Free Speech for Conservative Students
Rank |
---|
1 |
School |
Texas A&M University |
Score |
62.83 |
Percent Conservative |
43% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
52,568 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
2 |
School |
Kansas State University |
Score |
62.46 |
Percent Conservative |
43% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
18,171 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
3 |
School |
University of Chicago |
Score |
59.92 |
Percent Conservative |
11% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
6,298 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
4 |
School |
Brigham Young University |
Score |
59.23 |
Percent Conservative |
58% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
31,233 |
FIRE Rating |
Warning |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
5 |
School |
University of Tennessee |
Score |
59.05 |
Percent Conservative |
40% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
22,151 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
6 |
School |
University of Alabama |
Score |
58.58 |
Percent Conservative |
41% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
32,387 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
7 |
School |
Arizona State University |
Score |
58.42 |
Percent Conservative |
20% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
42,181 |
FIRE Rating |
Green |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
8 |
School |
University of Missouri |
Score |
57.98 |
Percent Conservative |
37% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
23,455 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
9 |
School |
University of Arkansas |
Score |
57.68 |
Percent Conservative |
39% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
22,763 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
10 |
School |
University of Virginia |
Score |
57.46 |
Percent Conservative |
18% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
27,120 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Table 7. Bottom 10 Colleges for Free Speech for Conservative Students
Rank |
---|
55 |
School |
DePauw University |
Score |
44.89 |
Percent Conservative |
22% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
2,137 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
54 |
School |
Columbia University |
Score |
46.04 |
Percent Conservative |
9% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
8,170 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
53 |
School |
University of Texas at Austin |
Score |
46.58 |
Percent Conservative |
21% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
39,965 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
52 |
School |
Dartmouth College |
Score |
47.74 |
Percent Conservative |
14% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
4,315 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
51 |
School |
Harvard University |
Score |
48.20 |
Percent Conservative |
15% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
7,532 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
50 |
School |
Georgetown University |
Score |
48.34 |
Percent Conservative |
18% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
7,128 |
FIRE Rating |
Red |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
Yes |
Rank |
49 |
School |
Wake Forest University |
Score |
48.15 |
Percent Conservative |
31% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
5,101 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
48 |
School |
University of Michigan |
Score |
48.66 |
Percent Conservative |
18% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
29,550 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
47 |
School |
Northwestern University |
Score |
48.76 |
Percent Conservative |
10% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
8,489 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |
Rank |
46 |
School |
University of Oregon |
Score |
49.19 |
Percent Conservative |
11% |
Undergrad. Enrollment |
19,163 |
FIRE Rating |
Yellow |
Adopted Chicago Statement |
No |