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.
67.6 Treanding Up
/ 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.
47 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.
3
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).
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
Overview
Four Tennessee 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.Vanderbilt University ranks 7 overall and is the top-ranked school in the state. It holds a “green light” rating in FIRE’s Spotlight database, meaning its written policies do not seriously threaten student expression. Vanderbilt’s Faculty Senate has adopted the pro-free speech Chicago Statement, and the university has also adopted a statement on institutional neutrality.
Middle Tennessee State University ranks 15 and also holds a “green light” rating. It has adopted the Chicago Statement but not neutrality. The University of Tennessee–Knoxville ranks 36 and holds a “green light” rating. The University of Memphis ranks 128 and holds a “yellow light” rating. Neither of these schools have adopted a major statement.
Clarifying written policies and broadening public commitments to expressive rights could help more of Tennessee’s campuses rise in the rankings.
Highlights
44% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
71% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
31% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
1.24:1
Across Tennessee, there are roughly 1.24 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 Tennessee. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
1
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Rose Abramoff | Rose Abramoff was fired by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (affiliated and managed by University of TN) after urging fellow scientists to take action on climate change. | -1.0 |
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville | College Republicans | Students contacted administrators requesting action against College Republicans for having mocked the university's "Consent Is" campaign on social media. The University Center for Health and Wellness created and promoted T-shirts as part of its sexual assault prevention campaign. College Republicans soon thereafter posted a screenshot of the shirts with the captions "these shirts are so gay and libtard coded" and "WAIT UNTIL MARRIAGE." A Reddit thread was then created in response to the post, wherein users announced they had contacted administrators. The program director for the Office of the Dean of Students would ultimately defend the group's expressive rights. | +1.0 |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The University of Memphis | Kyle Rittenhouse | The campus chapter of Turning Point USA invited Rittenhouse to speak on campus. Students objected to Rittenhouse's invitation because the university is a "predominantly black college in a predominantly black city where MLK was killed." A former county comission condemned the event on X, sharing the professional contact information of the university president and urging people to let him know how they feel about Rittenhouse speaking on campus. As Rittenhouse took the stage to deliver his remarks he was shouted down by student protesters in attendance. Rittenhouse did not give his speech and immediately moved onto to the Q&A, he left the stage after being questioned about Turning Point USA's CEO (Charlie Kirk). | -2.0 |
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Rankings and Survey Results
Rankings and Survey Results
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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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