by Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The University of Virginia tops the 2025 free speech ranking on college campuses, a first for the school founded by Thomas Jefferson.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression surveyed over 250 colleges and universities in its rankings. The foundation survey, administered by College Pulse, surveyed nearly 60,000 undergraduates enrolled full-time in four-year degree programs.
UVA scored an average of 73.41, which is described as “good” for its free speech climate. The survey reported that 78% of students reported that “shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is at least rarely acceptable.”
In addition, 34% of students say “using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is at least rarely acceptable.” Regarding self-censorship, 47% of students say they have self-censored “at least once or twice a month.” The report also noted liberal students outnumber conservative students 3-to-1.
The rankings are based on a “composite score of 14 components,” seven of which examine “student perceptions of different aspects of the speech climate.” The remaining seven assess “behavior” from campus administrators, faculty and students.
Students were asked questions about comfort in expressing ideas, how they would describe self-censorship, tolerance for liberal and conservative speakers, how “acceptable it is to engage” in disruptive behavior, administrative support and openness.
UVA ranked 10th for self-censorship, 54th for openness, 67th in tolerance for liberal and conservative speakers (combined), 70th for tolerance for liberal speakers, 95th for tolerance of conservative speakers, 107th for comfort in expressing ideas, 150th for tolerance of difference, and 200th in acceptance of disruptive behavior.
FIRE CEO Greg Lukianoff underscored the rankings’ importance at a time when freedom of speech is under scrutiny.
“These rankings highlight a pivotal moment in higher education, where the tension between maintaining a free speech environment and navigating deeply polarizing issues is more pronounced than ever,” Lukianoff explained.
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Sarah Roderick-Fitch is The Center Square’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Editor. She has previously worked as an editor, and has been a contributing writer for several publications. In addition to writing and editing, Sarah spent nearly a decade working for non-profit, public policy organizations in the Washington, DC area.
Photo “University of Virginia Students” by University of Virginia.
