The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, commonly known as FIRE, has released its ranking showcasing how the country’s major colleges and universities stack against each other on upholding free speech and the First Amendment. The nonprofit analyzed more than 250 colleges and universities and collected responses from more than 58,000 students
But why should universities care how well they rank on a service for students and their families? Lawmakers and the media may use FIRE’s rankings to substantiate their skepticism about a school’s campus safety. For example, State Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) mentioned Harvard’s “dead last” ranking when questioning, during a Congressional hearing last year, former president Claudine Gay on the campus’ ability to protect Jewish students. As you may know, Gay resigned soon after the hearing.
FIRE’s free speech ranking highlights struggles to corral Israel-Hamas war debate
Forty-two percent of students believe that it is only “somewhat” clear that their administration protects free speech, while 24% think it is “not at all” or “not very” clear. The Israel-Palestinian conflict proved to be the most controversial topic of debate FIRE has recorded in the five years it has published rankings—over half (55%) of students found the war in Gaza difficult to discuss.
“[C]onsidering how people are treated simply because of their views on issues (such as the Israeli conflict right now), I wouldn’t be comfortable saying anything about it to anyone,” said an anonymous student from the University of Virginia—which is regarded as the best institution to uphold free speech.
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Every Ivy League University, save Yale, ranked in the bottom 200 of FIRE’s rankings. MIT, ranked 168, held the highest ranking among universities in which their president testified before Congress on antisemitism.
“Some of the nation’s most lauded higher ed institutions are failing miserably in upholding First Amendment protections,” Sean Stevens, chief research advisor at FIRE, said in a press release. “Often these schools set the tone for the wider higher ed ecosystem, so it is imperative that they address these issues lest this failure drag the rights of a whole new generation of college students down with it.”
View the full rankings here.
| Top-ranked schools | Bottom-ranked |
| University of Virginia | Pomona College |
| Michigan Technological University | Indiana University |
| Florida State University | University of Texas, Austin |
| Eastern Kentucky University | University of Southern California |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | Syracuse University |
| Claremont McKenna College | Barnard College |
| North Carolina State University | University of Pennsylvania |
| Oregon State University | New York University |
| University of North Carolina, Charlotte | Columbia University |
| Mississippi State University | Harvard University |
More universities claim a lack of diverse enrollment post-affirmative action
Amherst College, Smith College and the Washington University in St. Louis have publicly reported a drop in Black enrollment following the federal ban on affirmative action last summer. MIT was the first major institution to blame plummeting Black and Latino enrollment on the end of the practice.
To keep up with diverse enrollment, some universities have to get great creative on college applications. For one, Mount Holyoke College expanded its outreach programs, personal statements and other application materials, according to NBC News.
“The feeling was pretty catastrophic,” Mount Holyoke President Danielle Holley told NBC News. “That demographic information that used to be readily available for a student’s file is now masked.”
Black enrollment backslides
- Amherst College: 3% (down 11% in 2023)
- Washington University in St. Louis: 8% (down 12% in 2023)
- MIT: 5% (down 15% in 2023)
- Smith College: 4% (down 5% in 2023)
Students scramble to find stable housing
While many universities are celebrating a record number of incoming students this fall, a new concern mounts: Where are they supposed to sleep affordably? Several institutions are spearheading new housing initiatives to expand the number of students who can live on or near campus. About half of all students across New Mexico and Washington state admitted to struggling with basic needs last year.
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: A Madison city commission has proposed a plan to allow developers to construct taller buildings if they offer discounted units for student housing following a report that found many of its 46,000 students struggling to afford rent, according to The Cap Times.
- San Diego State University: The California school shared its multi-phased construction project designed to introduce up to seven residential buildings, approximately 3,600 beds and one amenities building on campus.
- University of California, Riverside plans to build a new dorm to house 1,568 students by next summer, LAist reports.
- Louisiana State University: With freshman enrollment increasing by 12%, the state flagship has introduced alternative housing options to the flood of incoming first-year students. In July, the school offered students who live with their parents a $3,000 stipend to live at home, WAFB reports.
- University of Maine Augusta has negotiated a deal with nearby Best Western Plus Civic Center Inn to accommodate 22 students.
