For the second year in a row, Harvard University has been named as having the “worst” environment for free speech, receiving the lowest rating out of 251 universities evaluated by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
“However, this year other universities have joined Harvard's ranks, including Columbia University, ranked 250th with an overall score of 0.00,” the report, released Thursday, said.
New York University, the University of Pennsylvania and Barnard College rounded out the bottom five schools, according to the report.
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Harvard University was ranked last in the 2025 University Free Speech Rankings by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Harvard, Columbia and New York University all received “worst” ratings. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole, File)
FIRE, a First Amendment nonprofit, partnered with College Pulse to survey tens of thousands of students about the free speech environment on college campuses for its annual College Free Speech Rankings.
“We're trying to provide an indication of where students are going to get the best college experience in terms of exposure to diverse ideas,” Shawn Stevens, chief research adviser at FIRE, told Fox News Digital.
A Barnard spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the school is “committed to protecting academic freedom and freedom of expression and fostering an environment in which students, faculty and staff can engage in open and respectful dialogue.”
Barnard has adopted the Chicago Principles, a free speech policy previously endorsed by FIRE, and the faculty senate will be developing a “Barnard-specific framework” this academic year, the spokesperson added.
Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
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Stevens said all of the low-ranking schools have experienced incidents of speech being censored, suppressed or even verbally abused, adding that the bottom five schools have “consistently performed poorly” since FIRE began ranking schools in 2020.
“They rarely defend their speech,” Stevens said, “and when controversy arises, the speech is usually punished. The speaker is disinvited. The faculty member is sanctioned in some way, or the student or student organization is sanctioned.”
According to FIRE's analysis, low performers have one other notable commonality:
“Most students are extremely upset with the way university administration has responded to the protests over the past year,” Stevens said.
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Pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment on the Columbia University campus on April 29, 2024. (Spencer Pratt/Getty Images)
The Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war “sent shock waves to American college campuses,” according to the FIRE report. Protesters occupied Columbia University's South Lawn for about two weeks in April before police dispersed the encampment.
The researchers found that after camp began, there was a significant increase in the percentage of Columbia students who reported self-censoring in classroom discussions and conversations with professors and other students.
At the other end of the free speech spectrum, the University of Virginia came in at the top of the list, with Michigan Technological University, Florida State University, Eastern Kentucky University and Georgia Tech rounding out the top five.
Full ranking You can see it here.
Stevens noted that high-performing schools tend to have fewer controversies overall, and when controversy does arise, school administrators are more likely to defend speech rights.
He said he hopes parents and prospective students can use FIRE's rankings tool to make more informed choices, including digging deeper into the ratio of liberals to conservatives on campus and student attitudes toward free expression.
“Open inquiry and experiencing the process and being able to engage with and challenge your opinions” prepares students to be better adult citizens of our country after they graduate, Stevens said.
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FIRE and College Pulse surveyed students from 257 schools in total, but removed six schools from their main rankings and gave them a “warning” rating.
The FIRE report found that private universities, including Pepperdine University, Hillsdale College and Brigham Young University, all “have policies that clearly and consistently state” that they “prioritize other values over their commitment to free speech.”
