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.
63.8 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
47 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).
D
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.
4
Overview
Texas A&M University ranks 47 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings, earning a score of 64 and a D speech climate grade. The school absorbed penalties for canceling an annual drag show and an Israeli-Palestinian documentary.Student perceptions place the campus in the top 25 for “Political Tolerance,” “Disruptive Conduct,” and “Administrative Support.” Those strengths contrast sharply with the administration's repeated interventions, which drag down the overall score.
To consolidate its gains, Texas A&M should adopt the Chicago Statement and an official commitment to institutional neutrality while committing to refrain from future event cancelations that invite additional penalties.
Highlights
38% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
64% 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.
1.45:1
There are roughly 1.45 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Green
Score over time
Student Voices
During the 2024 election my friend warned me to be safe on campus because of how conservative people here are. I didn't want to admit that I, too, was conservative and that party wouldn't cause harm like that, especially at a college campus. I didn't want her to know my beliefs out of fear of being judged.
When having casual conversations with friends, I would be sure to speak quietly because many students may be violent with their convictions.
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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.
63.8 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.
47 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).
D
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.
4
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
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).
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).
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).
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.
4
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.
2
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
2
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.
4
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Texas A&M University | Queer Empowerment Council | The Texas A&M System Board of Regents voted to ban drag shows at each of the 11 system universities, which would prohibit the student-run Queer Empowerment Council from hosting its upcoming King/Queen of Draggiland event. Following President Trump's executive order recognizing only two sexes, the System Board of Regents voted on the issue out of concern that permitting drag shows would violate the order. With the help of FIRE the group sued, resulting in a judge blocking the ban and permitting their drag show to proceed as originally intended. | -1.0 |
| 2025 | Texas A&M University | All LGBTQ+ Student Groups | Following President Trump's executive order recognizing only two sexes, the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents voted to ban drag shows on each of its 11 campuses out of concern that permitting these shows would violate the order. | -1.0 |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Texas A&M University | Draggieland | The university system's Board of Regents unanimously voted to ban drag shows across its 11 campuses, citing concerns that such performances are "inconsistent with the System's mission and core values," and referencing a recent preisdential executive order prohibiting federal funding for the promotion of "gender ideology." This decision led to the cancellation of "Draggieland," an annual drag event scheduled on the university's flagship campus. | -3.0 |
| 2025 | Texas A&M University | No Other Land | University administrators canceled a scheduled on-campus screening of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land “so [the event] could be held in conjunction with other academic programs that would add value.” The film, created by an Israeli-Palestinian collective, documents the displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank. In response to the cancellation, the film was screened off-campus | -3.0 |
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More Student Voices
I would say that I mostly cannot express my opinions fully with other students because most of them haven't learned how to accept that not everyone has the same opinions. The administration and professors are much better at having an honest conversation about something that they might not fully agree with without being rude. Other students don't understand that some things can be topics of a discussion without becoming an argument.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at Texas A&M 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.
