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.
70.6 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
20 Treanding Down
/ 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.
1
Overview
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranks 20 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 71, earning a C- speech climate grade. The campus earns a “green light” Spotlight rating, and the University of North Carolina System has adopted both the Chicago Statement and institutional neutrality, both of which apply to its Charlotte campus.Student sentiment, however, paints a more troubled picture. The school places in the bottom 50 for both “Self-Censorship” and “Openness,” signaling that many hesitate to voice controversial views and feel limited in the range of topics they can discuss. The university also incurred a small penalty after protests led to a substantial disruption of an event featuring Israeli Defense Forces soldiers.
UNC Charlotte could bolster its free speech climate by continuing to educate students about policies surrounding expressive activities.
Highlights
43% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
80% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
32% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
2.02:1
There are roughly 2.02 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Green
Score over time
Student Voices
I cant think of an exact moment but whenever I am in classes I am weary about which of my beliefs to mention. Often times I am the only person of color in a class and it sometimes feels like my opinions will be drastic or people expect me to say certain things.
Having to hold back ideas and beliefs to ensure job placement
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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.
70.6 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.
20 Treanding Down
/ 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.
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
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).
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.
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.
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.
1
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
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of North Carolina Charlotte | IDF Soldier I/IDF Soldier II | The university chapter of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) organized an event titled "Triggered: From Combat to Campus," featured two active-duty Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers sharing their experiences. Prior to the event, opposition emerged from student organizations, notably Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Revolutionary Student Front. They initiated an online petition titled "IDF Off Our Campus," gathering over 400 signatures, urging the university administration to cancel the event. The petition labeled the IDF soldiers as "genociders and war criminals" and argued that hosting them violated the university's neutrality policy by causing distress among students. Despite these protests, the university permitted the event to proceed but required SSI to cover a $5,000 fee for additional security measures, including 16 police officers and six staff security personnel. This decision was made to ensure safety due to the anticipated protests. On the day of the event, supporters and opponents of the event engaged in demonstrations, reflecting the deep divisions among students regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. University officials emphasized their commitment to free speech and the peaceful exchange of ideas, implementing security protocols to maintain a respectful environment. The event was successfully held. | -2.0 |
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More Student Voices
most colleges are extremely tribal and leftist in culture, so if any one of your opinions goes against the popular narrative, even if you're a populist liberal, if you don't completely agree on every issue, you're not an ally. Like if you're a liberal but don't think a 10 year old wanting to sexually transition is normal, you might as well be a fascist racist homophobe sexist republican bible thumper transphobe in their eyes. there is no nuance in the average young "social justice warrior" worldview, so it is best to just not engage because they'll try to get you in trouble
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of North Carolina Charlotte 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.
