Average Score The Average Score is the average of all Overall Scores from colleges in a state that were included in the College Free Speech Rankings.
63.1 Treanding Down
/ 100
Average Rank The Average Rank is the average of all Overall Ranks from colleges in a state that were included in the College Free Speech Rankings.
74 Treanding Up
/ 257
Average 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.
6
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
Overview
Seven Florida schools are ranked in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. The state’s average speech-climate grade is D, compared to a national average of F.Florida State University ranks 17 overall and is the top-ranked school in the state. It holds a “green light” rating in FIRE’s Spotlight database. FSU is part of the State University System of Florida, whose Board of Governors has adopted the pro-free speech Chicago Statement, applying across the system.
The University of South Florida and the University of Florida rank 24 and 45, respectively. Both also hold “green light” ratings. Florida International, Florida Atlantic, and Central Florida all fall within the top 80 but have “yellow light” ratings. The University of Miami ranks 229 and holds a “red light” rating.
Some may wonder how Florida schools can earn a “green light” speech code rating or rank highly in the College Free Speech Rankings while FIRE is simultaneously litigating against the state’s Stop WOKE Act, which restricts instruction on certain concepts related to “race, color, national origin, or sex.” The answer lies in FIRE’s methodology: the speech code ratings and rankings reflect policies affecting student expression, not classroom instruction or faculty speech. Likewise, the survey component of the rankings captures the experiences of students — not faculty members — on their campuses.
Highlights
46% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
68% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
34% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
1.57:1
Across Florida, there are roughly 1.57 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Average score over time
Speech Controversies
Speech Controversies: When Free Expression Is Challenged
Explore notable incidents where free speech was tested on campuses across Florida. From speaker deplatformings to administrative actions, these events highlight the challenges — and consequences — of restricting expression.
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.
6
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.
1
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.
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.
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.
2
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | University of Central Florida | Charles Negy | Negy, a professor of psychology at the university, became the center of controversy following tweets that questioned the concept of systemic racism and suggested the existence of "Black privilege." These remarks led to widespread calls from students and alumni for his termination, with a petition demanding his dismissal garnering over 26,000 signatures. In response to the public outcry, the university initiated an investigation into Negy's conduct, focusing on allegations of creating a hostile classroom environment and other misconduct. This investigation culminated in his termination in January 2021. However, in May 2022, an arbitrator ruled that the university had not provided just cause for his dismissal, leading to Negy's reinstatement with back pay and benefits. | -1.0 |
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Florida | Preston Damsky | Administrators suspended Damsky from campus, issuing a tresspass order making it a second-degree misdemeanor for him to set foot on campus for three years, after months of escelating concern over his rhetoric about Jewish people and other groups. | -2.0 |
| 2024 | University of Florida | Keely Gilwa/Tess Segal/Parker Hovis/Rose Bisram/Augustino Pulliam | During the second day of a pro-Palestine campus protest, administrators seemingly adopted new, more restrictive, and seemingly viewpoint-discriminatory rules on campus protest and had police distribute flyers which listed prohibited activities and items and stated that non-compliance would result in a "3 year trespass and suspension." Not only did the flyers not referring to university policy, but in several instances they appeared different from official UF policy. Amongst prohibited items were chairs. Noticing several protesters sitting in chairs while peacefully playing Uno, police ordered the demonstration's dispersal. All five students were arrested for failure to obey police and obstruction without violence, and would be suspended for three years. | -1.0 |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Florida State University | Charlie Kirk | The university chapter of Turning Point USA invited Kirk to campus as part of his "American Comeback Tour." Several student organizations, including the Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the FSU chapter of the NAACP, opposed Kirk's presence due to his past statements, which they viewed as intolerant toward marginalized communities. The NAACP expressed concerns to the university that Kirk's rhetoric could create a hostile environment for Black and LGBTQ+ students, urging the university to denounce hate speech and reaffirm its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Kirk spoke on campus successfully. | +1.0 |
| 2024 | University of Florida | Ranna Abduljawad/Plestia Alaqad/Abi Fletcher/Umayyah Cable/Saree Makdisi/Judith Butler | Faculty members in the university's English department invited Palestinian activisits Abduljawad, Butler, Makdisi, Cable, Fletcher, and Alaqad for a two-day symposium titled "Critical Conversations in the Humanities: The War in Israel/Palestine." Less than 24 hours before the event was scheduled to begin, university administrators withdrew support citing policy violations in how the faculty organizers promoted the event. The faculty, who alleged that the cancellation constituted viewpoint discrimination, moved the event off-campus to a local church where it occurred successfully. | -2.0 |
| 2023 | University of Florida | Burn It Down: Communications of Resistance | The university took down a student art exhibit titled, Burn It Down: Communications of Resistance, because administrators wanted to clarify that the artwork represented the views of the artists and not of the university. | -1.0 |
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Rankings and Survey Results
Rankings and Survey Results
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