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.
43.9 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
254 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.
3
Overview
University of Washington ranks 254 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings, earning a score of 44 and an F speech climate grade. UW dropped 28 places from last year, a slide that coincided with a major event disruption in which protesters pulled a fire alarm to halt a Turning Point USA talk — an incident that triggered a 3-point penalty. The school also earns a “red light” Spotlight rating, pulling its overall score even lower.Student perceptions record one bright spot: UW places in the top 50 for “Self-Censorship,” indicating comparatively fewer feel compelled to stay silent. That optimism fades elsewhere, as the campus ranks in the bottom 25 for “Disruptive Conduct” and the bottom 50 for “Comfort Expressing Ideas,” underscoring persistent hostility to open dialogue.
UW could begin to reverse course by overhauling restrictive speech codes to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating, adopting the Chicago Statement and an official commitment to institutional neutrality, and enforcing clear penalties for protests that shut down invited speakers.
Highlights
37% 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.
42% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
5.06:1
There are roughly 5.06 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Red
Score over time
Student Voices
There are many people here who are never ever interested in an open intellectual discussion, only those with people they are sure 100% share their beliefs
When discussing the Israeli Palestinian conflict it is often hard to determine what can be said.
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Score Calculator
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Every school's score is shaped by campus policies. Adjust the factors below to see how different policies affect the ranking for the University of Washington.
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.
43.9 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.
254 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.
3
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
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).
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.
3
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.
3
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
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Washington | Olivia Krolczyk | Krolczyk was invited to speak on campus about women’s rights by the university’s Turning Point USA chapter at an event titled “Protect Women from Men: The Threat of the Trans Agenda.” Protesters surrounded the room where the talk was scheduled to take place. As the event began some protesters became more disruptive and one pulled the fire alarm in the building. Krolczyk and members of the Turning Point USA chapter barricaded themselves inside the room before they were escorted out by university police and security. | -3.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | University of Washington | Board of Regents Meeting | During a board of regents meeting, protestors affiliated with UW Divest for Palestine shouted down speakers during the public comment period of a proposal to form a committee to consider university divestment from “weapons companies” that do business with Israel. Protesters were warned by the board multiple times that the room would be cleared if the disruption continued. The board ultimately decided to adjourn the meeting “after disruptions made orderly conduct of the meeting impossible.” | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | University of Washington | Daniel Kurtzer | Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, was invited as the final speaker in the university’s War in the Middle East Lecture Series. The UW United Front for Palestinian Liberation organized a protest both outside the venue and in the hallways of the building. About 30 minutes into Kurtzer’s talk a protester began standing up and shouting over Kurtzer. The protester was removed by security. About 15 minutes later a different set of protesters began chanting and holding signs up. These protesters were also escorted out. In total, Kurtzer and the event organizers experienced seven different disruptions before the event ended early during the Q&A session. | -2.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
There would be moments where before my friend and I talk about how unhappy we are about the government we have to look over our shoulders to make sure there would be no one that would listen or have anyone that would disagree to what we say. In fear of starting an argument
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of Washington 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.
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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.
