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.
64.1 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.
58 Treanding Down
/ 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.
5
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 Virginia 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.The University of Virginia ranks 21 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. UVA’s Board of Visitors has adopted the pro-free speech Chicago Statement. UVA is also the only school in the state that has adopted a statement on institutional neutrality.
George Mason University and William & Mary rank 26 and 33, respectively. Both hold “green light” ratings and have not adopted a statement of institutional neutrality - while GMU has adopted the Chicago Statement. Virginia Tech and Washington & Lee University have adopted the Chicago Statement but maintain “yellow light” policies that threaten student expression. James Madison University and the University of Richmond also hold “yellow light” ratings and have not adopted major free speech statements.
Clarifying written policies and strengthening institutional commitments would help improve free-speech climates across Virginia campuses.
Highlights
43% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
76% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
36% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
2.46:1
Across Virginia, there are roughly 2.46 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 Virginia. 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.
5
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.
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.
3
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | George Mason University | Nicholas Decker | Decker, a Ph.D. student in philosophy at George Mason University (GMU), came under fire for a satirical Substack post titled “When Must We Kill Them?”, which addressed the moral and political dangers posed by authoritarian leaders like Donald Trump. Though Decker framed his essay as philosophical and hypothetical in nature, critics claimed it advocated political violence, prompting university and public backlash. In the essay, Decker argues from a philosophical standpoint that there can be conditions under which political violence against authoritarian rulers might be morally justifiable. He frames this as a classical philosophical question and explicitly distances himself from any call to action. However, critics online interpreted the essay as a threat or call to assassinate Trump. The university responded by publicly condemning the essay, calling the language “abhorrent and repugnant.” The university also acknowledged it referred the matter to law enforcement for review, despite clarifying that Decker’s statements were protected under the First Amendment. FIRE criticized the university decision to involve the police, stating it could chill protected expression. | -1.0 |
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Selma Ait-Bella/Sereen Haddad/Pro-Palestine Protesters | Administrators censored Ait-Bella and Sereen Haddad, and witheld their degree pending an investigation. On the last day of classes, Ait-Bella, Haddad and around 40 other students organized on a campus lawn for the one-year anniversary of an encampment protest which resulted in riot police deploying pepper spray and tear gas against students. Ait-Bella, Haddad, and their peers did not set up any tents, but did use cloth banners from past protests as picnic blankets. Administrators and campus police approached the group and told them to relocate to a "free speech zone." Some refused, and one student was arrested. Afterwards, Ait-Bella and Haddad were placed under investigation and had their degrees held pending its findings. | -1.0 |
| 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 |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Kristan Hawkins | Protesters disrupted a Students for Life of America-sponsored event featuring Hawkins because of her pro-life stance. The event never began because there was so much heckling and, eventually, pushing. Two nonstudents were arrested. Instead of controlling the protesters, campus police asked the speaker to leave. | -1.0 |
| 2023 | Washington and Lee University | Carol Swain/Marc Lamont Hill/Patrice Onwuka | Multiple student organizations, including the College Republicans and College Democrats, co-sponsored a panel discussion centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives including Swain amd Hill. The panel was moderated by Onwuka. The discussion was difficult to arrange and ended up in a smaller venue than requested because of bureaucratic roadblocks, which the university seemed to apply in a discriminatory manner based on the viewpoint of the speaker or the political orientation of the event sponsors. Swain and Hill spoke successfully. | -1.0 |
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Rankings and Survey Results
Rankings and Survey Results
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