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.
53.7 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
207 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.
1
Overview
Tulane University ranks 207 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. The university earned a score of 54, an F speech climate grade and a “yellow light” Spotlight rating. A disciplinary investigation into seven students who joined an off-campus immigration protest imposed a penalty that weighed on this year's score.Student perceptions are mixed. Tulane places in the top 50 on “Openness,” signaling relative ease discussing contentious issues compared to other schools. Yet the school lands in the bottom 25 for “Disruptive Conduct,” suggesting high tolerance for obstructive protest tactics, and in the bottom 50 for overall “Political Tolerance” toward invited speakers.
Tulane could improve by revising its written speech policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating, educating students on when expression crosses into unprotected conduct, as well as adopting the Chicago Statement and an official commitment to institutional neutrality.
Highlights
54% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
79% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
41% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
5.31:1
There are roughly 5.31 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
In class teachers often speak with their own political opinions and make it seem like the whole class is in unison about the opinion which discourages dissenting opinions.
Saying anything about Palestine/Israel
Make Your Voice Heard: share this report with your school administrators
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.
53.7 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.
207 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.
1
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).
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.
1
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.
0
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 | Tulane University | Adelaide Ritzman/Atticus Pratt/Cameron McLaren/Preston Seligman/Rory MacDonald/Two Unnamed Students | All seven students received an email from administrators announcing that they were being investigated for participating in an off-campus protest organized by suspended student group Students for a Democratic Society. Protesters called upon the institution to not cooperate with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and to declare itself a sanctuary for immigrants. All of the students were investigated, and Ritzman was placed on disciplinary probation, and mandated to participate in 20 hours of community service. Mclaren was also under investigation for another incident involving him leaving (or forgetting) his bag with a note reading "never the audacious; protect DEI," which administrators treated as a possible threat. Though already suspended at the time of the protest due to his participation last spring's encampment protests, MacDonald claims he's been told that that his latest activism, which occured off-campus, could result in him facing further consequences including expulsion. | -1.0 |
Support the Fight for Free Speech
When you give to FIRE, you join a movement dedicated to restoring free speech as both a legal right and a cultural value celebrated by Americans everywhere. Donations are 100% tax-deductible. Please join us in this important work with a gift today!
More Student Voices
When the 2024 election was occurring, I felt as though it was a challenging time to express my true beliefs because emotions were so high. I often found myself restrained from sharing my true opinion, even while conversing with friends.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at Tulane University 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.
Reach out to FIRE
Have a question or want to share your feedback? We'd love to hear from you! Use the button below to contact us.
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.
