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.
55.7 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
177 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
The University of Kansas ranks 177 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 56, an F speech climate grade. The Kansas Board of Regents adopted the Chicago Statement — applying to the flagship institution. Speech controversy penalties weighed on the score after administrators disciplined students who protested the removal of gender-inclusive housing and a student who spoke with the media.Student perceptions place KU in the bottom 25 nationwide for “Self-Censorship” and in the bottom 50 for “Openness,” suggesting many hesitate to share views and feel constrained when controversial issues arise. No area cracked the top 50.
KU could make meaningful progress by revising its written speech policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating and adopting a statement on institutional neutrality.
Highlights
41% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
73% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
44% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
1.17:1
There are roughly 1.17 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
During the election I felt I could not voice my opinion because my friends would yell at me
My friends told me they would not be friends with me if I voted for a certain political representative.
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Take the next step — send this report to your school and show them that real improvement is possible.
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.
55.7 Treanding Down
/ 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.
177 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
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).
D+
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.
2
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
1
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.
1
New in 2025 The number of controversies that have occurred since the previous launch of the College Free Speech Rankings.
2
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The University of Kansas | Anthony Alvarez | Alvarez was placed on probation from his proctor job at a campus dormatory after protesting and speaking to journalists about the university's recent decision to remove gender inclusive housing assignments for the next year. After the decision was announced, around 75 students, including Alvarez, protested outside a campus building on February 26, during which Alvarez spoke with local media covering the event. Afterwards, he was notified that he had been placed on probation at his job for violating a Housing policy prohibiting proctors to speak with the media in a non-official capacity. | -1.0 |
| 2025 | The University of Kansas | Kristopher Long/Michael Hanzelka | Long was one of several students ordered to remove sticky notes from his dorm room window which criticized the university's recent decision to remove gender inclusing housing assignments for the next year. Administrators visited Long's dorm room while he was in class, and told his roommate to remove the notes. However, Long and his roommate decided not to comply. | -1.0 |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The University of Kansas | Gal Solal-Cohen | KU Chabad, KU Hillel, and Students Supporting Israel invited Solal-Cohen to speak as a part of their "Faces of Oct. 7" initiaitve, that invites survivors of the October 7th attacks in Israel to share their firsthand experience. On the day of the talk the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine called for the cancellation of the event on Instagram becasue it "glorifies an Israeli settler" and "endangers the safety and well-being of Palestinian students on campus." Campus police removed the protesters and Solal-Cohen finished his remarks. | -1.0 |
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More Student Voices
When a professor is forcing liberal views on students
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at The University of Kansas 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.
