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.
70.3 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
21 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 Virginia ranks 21 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 70, earning a C- speech climate grade. The university adopted institutional neutrality this year, complementing its long-standing “green light” Spotlight rating, yet it also absorbed a small penalty after an administrator threatened to remove a peaceful student protester from outside of their Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School before reversing course.Student perceptions are poor with UVA failing to rank in the top 100 for any area. UVA ranks in the bottom 50 for both “Comfort Expressing Ideas” and “Administrative Support,” signaling relative unease and skepticism toward leadership despite strong written policies.
To close the gap between policy and perception, students must see their rights defended in both words and actions. UVA leadership should more clearly and proactively articulate the value of expressive rights, particularly during moments of controversy. In addition, UVA should incorporate robust First Amendment education into first-year orientation to help students understand not only their rights, but also where lawful expression ends and unprotected conduct begins.
Highlights
35% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
77% 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.
5.29:1
There are roughly 5.29 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Green
Score over time
Student Voices
There was a camping protest last year for Palestine that was shut down violently when the university called in the state police, it made me realize the schools has priorities other than protecting the students free speech
I was always too scared to protest after seeing how a protest was last dealt with on grounds
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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.
70.3 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.
21 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).
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).
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.
1
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
0
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 | The University of Virginia | Kirk Wolff | While quietly protesting on university grounds, Wolff was approached by a campus police officer and an administrator, who threatened him with a no tresspass order and disenrollment unless he leave. The university hosts the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School, a school on campus that educates military lawyers. Wolff set up a folding chair outside JAG school grounds (but still on university grounds) and sat beside two signs protesting President Trump's proposal to develop Gaza under U.S. control. Shortly thereafter, a campus police vehicle pulled up, and an officer accompanied by an administrator approached Wolff. The administrator told Wolff that he was violating university policy and instructed him to leave or else "be issued a no trespass order barring you from university property for up to four years." Wolff then called one of his law professors, and minutes later, the administrator reversed course and said he was not breaking any rules. Three days later, Wolff met with the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, who told him that body camera footage showed that the administrator who confronted Wolff had not followed correct procedures and that the university would change its policies to no longer deploy campus police to speech-related incidents. | -1.0 |
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More Student Voices
Attending a protest for literally any cause especially Palestine
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at The University of Virginia 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.
