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.
76.1 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
3 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).
C
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
The University of Chicago ranks 3 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. As historical speech controversy penalties diminished, UChicago’s score rose 5 points to 76, a C speech climate grade. UChicago is the model for commitments to free speech and institutional neutrality with its Chicago Statement and the Kalven Report. It also earns a “green light” Spotlight rating.UChicago scores highly on the survey areas, placing first nationwide on “Administrative Support,” and ranking in the top 25 for both “Comfort Expressing Ideas” and “Self-Censorship.” It also edged into the top 50 on “Political Tolerance.”
These results reflect the strength of UChicago’s historical commitment to free expression. However, progress could be made on the “Disruptive Conduct” score, where the university ranks 119. By clarifying when conduct infringes on the rights of others or disrupts protected speech, UChicago can better align its student culture with its long-standing leadership in campus speech.
Highlights
40% 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.
36% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
9.55:1
There are roughly 9.55 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Green
Score over time
Student Voices
Was scared I would be ostracized by students and peers because of conservative political viewpoints. Especially during the 2024 election and the aftermath during the first couple months of Trump presidency.
During the height of the Israel-Palestine conflict, a lot of people on campus were getting very heated about it, and I felt like voicing my opinion may potentially endanger me.
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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.
76.1 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.
3 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).
C
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
Adopted
Institutional Neutrality
Adopted
Spotlight Rating
Green
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.
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.
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
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The University of Chicago | Turning Point USA | Turning Point USA was allegedly denied official club recognition because they "hadn't proved that there was interest in the group" and it would be "too similar to College Republicans." | -1.0 |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The University of Chicago | Jesse Menachem Ehrenfeld | Ehrenfeld, the new President of the American Medical Association, was invited to speak at the medical school by he Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society about LGBTQ+ equity in medicine. During Ehrenfeld's talk student protesters began shouting over him, accusing him of Israeli "pinkwashing," and the AMA for not calling for a ceasefire in Israel and for being complicit in the deaths of Palestinian civilians. University security escorted the protesters out of the venue, and Ehrenfeld completed his remarks. | -1.0 |
| 2023 | The University of Chicago | Anna Levin-Rosen/Hannah Auerbach/Yossi Brackman | Chabad organized a group of students for a protest of Hamas' attack on Israel on the university's central quad. The group officially requested and reserved the space for five hours. As the demonstration began Students for Justice in Palestine disrupted the event, preventing Levin-Rosen, Auerbach, and Brackman from delivering their remarks. | 0.0 |
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More Student Voices
Literally anything to do with Israel/Palestine, especially after the University's response to last spring's encampment
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at The University of Chicago 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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See Your School's Ranking
The College Free Speech Rankings are based on student surveys, campus policies, and recent speech-related controversies.
FIRE Fights for Your Rights
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.
