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.
52.4 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
216 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 Southern California ranks 216 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 52, up 8 points from last year. That increase moved USC 29 places higher and coincided with the university restoring a “yellow light” Spotlight rating after a “red light” rating the past two years and formally adopting a statement on institutional neutrality. Even so, continuing speech-related investigations cost the school 5 points.Student perceptions remain bleak. USC places in the bottom 25 for “Administrative Support,” mirroring last year's poor showing and underscoring widespread doubt that leaders protect controversial expression.
USC could improve by revising its written speech policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating and adopting a free speech statement based on the Chicago Statement.
Highlights
45% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
74% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
35% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
5.38:1
There are roughly 5.38 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
concern about doxxing or backlash from professors/companies related to israel-palestine conflict
recordings everywhere, you don't know when they would use it against you. Better to keep quiet than be deprived of my student visa.
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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.
52.4 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.
216 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
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).
F
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).
F
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.
1
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
2
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.
0
Attempted Disruptions Attempted Disruptions are the number of incidents where people on campus try to stop a scheduled event or speaker.
0
New in 2025 The number of controversies that have occurred since the previous launch of the College Free Speech Rankings.
1
Students Under Fire
Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | University of Southern California | Three Unnamed Students | Three unnamed students was summoned to a meeting with the dean and accused of intimidating 11 students who stood accused of "potential discrimination." Multiple incidents involving 11 unnamed students at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance were reported to administrators and investigated as possible discriminatory harassment, including five freshman who allegedly encouraged one another to repeat racial slurs to black students. After several community meetings about alleged acts of racism, an unnamed student sent a message in a student-run group chat (seeming including at least some of the 11 students under investigation), writing that "[i]f I imagine myself in a situation where someone had expressed that they felt uncomfortable dancing with me, I think I would self-reflect and ask myself why." This student, and two others who supported and replied to the comment, were each summoned into a meeting by the dean, who claimed their messages constituted intimidation against the 11 accused students. | -1.0 |
Deplatformings
Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | University of Southern California | Asna Tabassum | The university administration canceled Tabassum's, the valedictorian of the graduating class, commencement speech because of "substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement." There is no evidence that the university received any threats or took any steps to secure the event short of canceling Tabassum's speech, and the cancellation of the speech appears to be motivated by Tabassum's social media posts critical of Israel. | -2.0 |
2024 | University of Southern California | Jon Chu/Billie Jean King/Maria Rosario Jackson/Marcia McNutt | After the decision by the university to cancel Asna Tabassum's (the graduating class' valedictorian) speech at commencement because of "substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement" resulted in student and faculty backlash, the university canceled all commenment speakers. | -2.0 |
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More Student Voices
When my campus administration revoked a valedictorians speech because she was pro Palestine
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of Southern California 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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