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.
52.1 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
219 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).
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
The University of Pittsburgh ranks 219 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 52, an F speech climate grade The school still earns a “yellow light” Spotlight rating, and this year's score reflected a penalty after administrators suspended Students for Justice in Palestine during a conduct investigation.Students offer a mixed picture: Pitt ranks in the top 50 for “Self-Censorship,” suggesting comparatively fewer students feel compelled to keep silent, yet simultaneously places in the bottom 10 for “Comfort Expressing Ideas,” indicating widespread unease about speaking up.
Pitt could make immediate strides by revising its speech policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating, as well as formally adopting the Chicago Statement and an official commitment to institutional neutrality.
Highlights
45% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
75% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
36% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
4.46:1
There are roughly 4.46 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
I have been scared to speak in conversations about groups that I did not belong to in fear I would say something incorrectly or accidentally offensive.
My professor explicitly said after the election that our country is moving toward fascism, and made it clear that he believed western culture and traditional conservatism/christianity was the reason for the evils we see today.
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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.
52.1 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.
219 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).
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
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).
F
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.
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.
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.
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.
1
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Pittsburgh | Students for Justice in Palestine | Students for Justice in Palestine was investigated for having allegedly "promoted and hosted an event" in a non-reservable part of the campus library. The event in question was a December 9 study-in wherein students wearing keyyiyehs and surrounded by Palestinian flags protested the war in Gaza by taping paper on the backs of their laptops featuring slogans including "free Palestine," "no universities left in Gaza," and "429 days of genocide." Administrators at the library allegedly told the students that their protest had "modified" the space and required them to leave and show IDs for code of conduct referrals. The Office of Student Conduct later summoned SJP to a conduct meeting, alleging it had "promoted and hosted an event" in a non-reservable area of the library. Though the group denied having organized the study-in, it did admit to having "amplif[ied]" it on social media, and suggested uneven enforcement given that a sorority had recently used (but not promoted) a non-reservable space as well without being disciplined. Ultimately, the Office recommended SJP be placed on probation for a year, attend "educational conversations," and be banned from hosting or participating in events until May. | -2.0 |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | University of Pittsburgh | Bhavini Patel | Patel, a graduate of the university as well as a congressional candidate and supporter of Israel, was scheduled to appear at the university to speak with students about her experience at the university. A day before the event, it was called off. The university said that it asked Patel to postpone the event because its policies bar "directly or indirectly engaging in any political campaign activities" and they were concerned that the event woukd not remain focused on Patel's experiences at the university. Patel said that the university canceled the event "citing concerns of disruption and my safety" from supporters of one of her primary opponents who is a critic of Israeli military policy in Gaza. | -2.0 |
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More Student Voices
Every single day I have a professor address our current political environment. They make backhanded remarks about our current president under the assumption that everyone agrees. In some classes, professors even facilitate discussions around why the current president is bad. As someone that voted for Trump, it does not feel like a safe space to share my opinions or thoughts regarding these issues because the second I am to disagree with them, it is me vs. the entire class
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of Pittsburgh 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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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.
