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.
58.6 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
105 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 Michigan–Ann Arbor ranks 105 out of 257 in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. The school's score rose to 59, up 5 points, lifting it 80 places from last year, though it has an F speech climate grade. The jump coincides with the university's decision to adopt institutional neutrality, which added an institutional-neutrality bonus, but its speech policies remain stuck at a “yellow light” Spotlight rating.Student perceptions remain troubling. Michigan places in the bottom 25 for “Comfort Expressing Ideas” and the bottom 50 for “Administrative Support,” suggesting many feel uneasy sharing opinions and doubt the administration's resolve when controversies arise.
Michigan could make headway by revising restrictive policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating and by pairing its new neutrality stance with clear, student education on when expression crosses into unprotected conduct.
Highlights
46% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
69% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
33% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
4.88:1
There are roughly 4.88 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
DEI being removed from the university caused me to stay silent about the Palestine stuff
I think in class discussions in particular, it's hard to gauge the classroom environment and whether or not certain statements will receive a negative response. There is a tendency for very opinionated individuals to overpower an open discussion, which can create an unwelcoming environment for those who may disagree. In addition, if a professor indicates a bias or preference for a particular stance on a topic, which happens relatively frequently, a student will be deterred from contributing their perspective.
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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.
58.6 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.
105 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
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).
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.
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.
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.
0
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | University of Michigan | Marc Dollinger | Dollinger, a professor of Jewish history at San Francisco State University, was inviggted by the university's Judaic Studies Department to talk about his book "Black Power, Jewish Politics," that analyzes the relationship between Jewish and Black political activism during the Civil Rights Movement. During Dollinger's talk, masked students began shouting "Dolling, you can't hide!" and "Zionism is a crime!" A faculty member attempted to engage with the protesters and campus police were called. The protesters left before campus polce arrived and Dollinger resumed his talk and completed it. | 0.0 |
| 2024 | University of Michigan | Honors Convocation | After all of the student awards at 101st Annual Honors Convocation had been haded out, student protesters interrupted university president Santa Ono's remarks by holding up signs that said "No Honor in Genocide," "Divest Now," and "30,000 killed," and chanting "Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes." Instead of makiing a pro-free-speech statement or directing security to usher the heckler's out, Ono left the stage, ending the event early. | -2.0 |
| 2023 | University of Michigan | Josh Hammer | Minutes after Hammer began his remarks, student protesters stood up and exposed their shirts which featured photos of Palestinians who died in Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Minutes later, the protesters first coughed and then began shouting to drown out Hammer's remarks. An administrator who then informed the students that their actions violated university policy was also shouted down by the student protesters. The protesters eventually left but continued to bang on the wall outside the room. The event resumed after about 30 minutes of disruption. | -1.0 |
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More Student Voices
I didn't want to attend any protests in the fall because I was worried I would get my visa revoked.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of Michigan 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.
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