Overall Score The Overall Score is made up of 12 parts. Six measure how students feel about free speech on campus. Three look at school speech policies. The last three look at how people on campus respond during speech controversies. A higher score reflects a better free speech climate.
52.2 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
217 Treanding Up
/ 257
Overall grade The Grade is a letter based on the college's rounded Overall Score. Scores fall into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
F
Speech Controversies Controversies are campus incidents where a student, professor, or speaker faces backlash or pressure for speech that's protected by the First Amendment or academic freedom.
3
Overview
University of California, Berkeley ranks 217 of 257 in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 52, an F speech climate grade. Its “yellow light” Spotlight rating still holds back progress.Student perceptions place Berkeley in the top 25 for “Self-Censorship” and in the top 50 for “Administrative Support,” offering bright spots. In contrast, the school ranks in the bottom 25 on “Disruptive Conduct.”
Berkeley could improve by revising its written speech policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating, as well as adopting the Chicago Statement and an official commitment to institutional neutrality.
Highlights
37% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
82% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
39% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
5.27:1
There are roughly 5.27 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
I was scared to express my opinion on Israel because the students who lived next to me had previously gone on cyber bullying sprees for anyone who had expressed their opinion on our floor
I don't agree that minors should be able to undergo transition surgery or use HRTs/gender-affirming hormone therapy but would not voice this because it would be seen as anti-LGBTQ. I do consider myself as an ally to the LGBTQ community but the transitioning for minors is something I disagree with since I personally know people who underwent these changes and regretted it.
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Score Deep Dive
Inside the Score
Explore the key factors shaping this score. This section provides a detailed look at the data, policies, and student experiences that influence free speech on campus.
Overall Score The Overall Score is made up of 12 parts. Six measure how students feel about free speech on campus. Three look at school speech policies. The last three look at how people on campus respond during speech controversies. A higher score reflects a better free speech climate.
52.2 Treanding Up
/ 100
This score out of 100 reflects how open and supportive a campus is for free speech, based on student surveys, campus policies, and recent speech-related controversies.
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
217 Treanding Up
/ 257
A comparison of 257 U.S. colleges and universities on free speech, based on overall scores from student surveys, campus policies, and speech-related controversies.
Overall grade The Grade is a letter based on the college's rounded Overall Score. Scores fall into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
F
A school’s speech climate, shown as a letter grade (A–F), based on its overall score from student surveys, campus policies, and speech-related controversies.
Speech Controversies Controversies are campus incidents where a student, professor, or speaker faces backlash or pressure for speech that's protected by the First Amendment or academic freedom.
3
Reflect recent incidents where a speaker, professor, student, or student group faced efforts to punish, disinvite, or silence them for expressing a controversial view.
Chicago Statement for Free Speech
Not Adopted
Institutional Neutrality
Not Adopted
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Comfort Expressing Ideas Comfort Expressing Ideas measures how comfortable students feel sharing their views on controversial topics in different campus settings. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
D
Disruptive Conduct Disruptive Conduct measures how acceptable students think it is to disrupt a campus speaker. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
C-
Openness Openness measures how many controversial topics students feel they can openly discuss on campus. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
C
Self-Censorship Self-Censorship measures how often students hold back their views on campus. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93–100) to F (below 60).
D
Administrative Support Administrative Support measures how clearly students think their school supports free speech and how likely the administration is to defend a speaker's rights during a controversy. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
D-
Political Tolerance Political Tolerance measures how willing students are to allow controversial speakers — on both the left and right — to speak on campus, even if they disagree with their views. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
F
Speech Controversies
Speech Controversies: When Free Expression Is Challenged
Explore notable incidents where free speech was tested on campus. From speaker deplatformings to administrative actions, these events highlight the challenges — and consequences — of restricting expression.
Total Controversies Controversies are campus incidents where a student, professor, or speaker faces backlash or pressure for speech that's protected by the First Amendment or academic freedom.
3
Scholars Under Fire Scholar Controversies are campus incidents where a professor or academic staff member faces backlash or punishment for speech protected by academic freedom or the First Amendment.
0
Students Under Fire Student Controversies are campus incidents where a student or student group faces punishment or pressure from the school for speech that's protected by the First Amendment.
0
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
3
Honor Roll Statements Honor Roll Statements are the number of public messages from a college or university defending free speech during a campus controversy. Schools that make these statements can earn bonus points on their Overall Score for standing up for free expression when it counts.
1
Attempted Disruptions Attempted Disruptions are the number of incidents where people on campus try to stop a scheduled event or speaker.
1
New in 2025 The number of controversies that have occurred since the previous launch of the College Free Speech Rankings.
0
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | University of California, Berkeley | Carol Christ/Condoleezza Rice | Rice and university chancellor Christ were discussing "Free Speech in Higher Education" at a campus event when members of the San Francisco Bay Area CODEPINK chapter, alumni, and students began voicing objections to Rice's role in the Bush admnistration and the second Iraq War, and to her leadership of the Hovver Institution at Stanford because she was enabling the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Event staff threatened each audience member who interrupted Rice and Christ with detainment and escorted them out of the building. Rice and Christ finished their remarks. | -1.0 |
| 2024 | University of California, Berkeley | Ran Bar-Yoshafat | Students Supporting Israel at Berkeley and the Berkeley Tikvah invited Bar-Yoshafat, an Israeli lawyer and former Israeli Defense Force member, to campus to speak about Israel's “international legal challenges” and if it was currently violating international law and the rules of wartime conduct in Gaza. After learning about the event university police decided to change the venue to one they considered more secure and deployed additional security. The university police also asked Bar-Yoshafat to wear a hat when entering campus to hide his identity. A protest organized by a student group, Bears for Palestine, marched to the venue chanting "Long live the intifada," "Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go," and "Killers on campus." Once at the venue protesters crowded the side entrances of the venue, and smashed two windows and a door. Police then canceled the event. Four event attendees allege they were attacked by the protesters. | -4.0 |
| 2024 | University of California, Berkeley | Simcha Rothman/Joshua Kleinfeld | The law school chapter of the Federalist Society invited Rothman, a member of Israel's parliament, and Kleinfeld to speak on campus at an event titled Restoring Democracy: The Debate Over Judicial Reform in Israel. Before the event started, UnXeptable, a group of Israeli expats, began shouting at Rothman and arguing with him in Hebrew over his support for a bill that would give the Knesset more oversight of Israel’s judicial system. Then when the event began, pro-Palestinian protesters began shouting at Rothman and also began louldy arguing with the members of UnXetable. Security removed Rothman from the auditorium and those in attendance were informed that he would answer questions via Zoom. | -1.0 |
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More Student Voices
I refrained from saying my opinion on the Israel/Palestine conflict because I believe the general student body has made it very clear that any words criticizing Palestine are inhumane
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of California, Berkeley perceive free speech on their campus. This section breaks down survey responses to key questions, providing insights into overall trends as well as demographic differences in how students experience free expression.
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The College Free Speech Rankings are based on student surveys, campus policies, and recent speech-related controversies.
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The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression defends and sustains the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.
