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.
56.2 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
160 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.
2
Overview
Princeton University ranks 160 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. The university earns a score of 56, a 5-point jump that lifted it 63 places from last year. Shrinking penalties from past speech controversies helped nudge the score upward, but Princeton still earns a “red light” Spotlight rating for restrictive speech policies.Student perceptions place Princeton in the top 25 for “Political Tolerance,” “Self-Censorship,” and “Openness.” Princeton also ranks in the top 50 for “Administrative Support” and “Disruptive Conduct.” These bright spots are undercut by the restrictive policy regime that continues to depress the university's overall standing.
Princeton could make immediate gains by revising its restrictive speech codes to secure a “green light” Spotlight rating and by adopting an official commitment to institutional neutrality.
Highlights
47% 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.
22% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
2.76:1
There are roughly 2.76 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Red
Score over time
Student Voices
Not being able to attend certain events because of fear of administrative consequences.
I often censor myself in regard to Israel out of fear that students will ostracize or judge me unfairly
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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.
56.2 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.
160 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.
2
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
Red
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).
B-
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.
2
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.
1
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.
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.
0
New in 2025 The number of controversies that have occurred since the previous launch of the College Free Speech Rankings.
0
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Princeton University | Joshua Katz | Katz, a professor of classics at the university, authored an essay in Quillette criticizing faculty proposals aimed at addressing systemic racism at Princeton. Within this piece, he referred to the Black Justice League (BJL), a former student organization, as "a small local terrorist organization that made life miserable for the students (including the many black students) who did not agree with its members’ demands." This characterization drew significant criticism from colleagues and university administrators, including the university's president. However, the university did not initiate a formal investigation into Katz's remarks at that time. Subsequently, in February 2021, The Daily Princetonian reported that Katz had previously engaged in a consensual sexual relationship with an undergraduate student, which violated university policy. This revelation led to renewed scrutiny and a second university investigation. The investigation concluded that Katz had misrepresented facts during the initial 2018 inquiry and had discouraged the former student from participating in the investigation and from seeking mental health care. As a result, the university's Board of Trustees voted to dismiss Katz in May 2022. | -2.0 |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Princeton University | David French/Sarah Isgur | The Whig-Cliophilic Society invited French and Isgur to record an espidode of their Advisory Opinions podcast on campus. Whig-Clio was not allowed to host the event on campus, allegedly because of administrator concerns that hosting French and Isgur would violate IRS rules for tax-exempt institutions participating in political advocacy. The podcast was recorded off-campus in the local public library. A Princeton administrator later clarified that the event was rejected because student organizations are prvented from hosting events with non-university organizations, and not over concerns about the university's tax status. | -2.0 |
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More Student Voices
I can't always say how i feel about immigration issues because I'm scared of being judged
I wrote an essay about Israel and felt uncomfortable sharing my true beliefs with my professor.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at Princeton 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.
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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.
