New college free speech rankings released. Harvard comes in last.

Sep 07, 2023

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Ben Burke (Digital Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

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Michigan Technical University came in first, and Harvard University was dead last in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s (FIRE) latest college free speech rankings. The rankings are formed from the results of a survey of 55,000 students.

According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, this story is a Media Miss for the left. The Media Landscape indicates that while right-leaning outlets are covering this story, fewer – if any – left-leaning outlets are reporting on the topic.

Roughly 72% of students who responded said they oppose conservative speakers on their campus. On the other hand, 43% said they oppose allowing a liberal speaker.

27% of students said using violence to stop free speech on campus is acceptable to some degree. That number is up from 20% the previous year.

As for self-censorship, 26% of respondents said they censor themselves a few times a week while in conversations with their friends. 25% said they’re more likely to censor themselves now compared to when they started college.

When it comes to talking about particular subjects, 49% of students said abortion is difficult to talk about honestly while conversing on campus.

The college free speech rankings also factored in each school’s “speech code rating.” According to FIRE, schools without policies that imperil free speech rose in the rankings. Schools with restrictive speech codes fell.

Only 47 schools had a campus speech climate rated as “slightly above average” or better. The top four schools, which all had “good” ratings, include:

Michigan Tech.
Auburn University.
University of New Hampshire.
Oregon State University.

Harvard landed all the way at the bottom of the rankings, receiving the only “abysmal” rating out of all 248 schools. According to FIRE, the worst five schools in the rankings had an 81% success rate on deplatforming attempts. Those schools include:

Harvard.
University of Pennsylvania.
University of South Carolina.
Georgetown University.
Fordham University.

Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.

Tags: Education, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Free Speech, Harvard, Media Landscape, Media Miss

THE LATEST COLLEGE FREE SPEECH RANKINGS ARE IN…

AND MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY COMES IN FIRST…

WHILE HARVARD UNIVERSITY COMES IN DEAD LAST.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE FOR THIS STORY.

AS YOU CAN SEE – THIS STORY IS MOSTLY BEING COVERED ON THE RIGHT – AND IT’S A COMPLETE MEDIA MISS ON THE LEFT.

FOR MORE MEDIA MISS STORIES LIKE THIS – YOU CAN HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE – S-A-N DOT COM.

THE SURVEY – CONDUCTED BY THE FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION – ALSO KNOWN AS “FIRE” — RELIES HEAVILY ON STUDENT RESPONSES – 55-THOUSAND TO BE EXACT… as well as HOW UNIVERSITIES RESPOND TO DEPLATFORMING ATTEMPTS – AND IF THE INSTITUTIONS PREVENT SPEAKERS FROM SHARING THEIR IDEAS ON CAMPUS.

THE SURVEY ALSO FACTORS IN EACH SCHOOL’S “SPEECH CODE RATING”. FIRE SAYS – SCHOOLS WITHOUT POLICIES THAT IMPERIL FREE SPEECH ROSE IN THE RANKINGS – WHILE THOSE WITH RESTRICTIVE SPEECH CODES — FELL.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY LANDS ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RANKINGS… AND RECEIVED THE ONLY “ABYSMAL” RATING OUT OF ALL 248 SCHOOLS.

THE SURVEY ALSO FINDS THE MOST CENSORIAL SCHOOLS INCLUDING…

FORDHAM UNIVERSITY…

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY….

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA…

THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA…

AND HARVARD UNIVERSITY…

HAVE AN 81-PERCENT SUCCESS RATE – WHEN IT COMES TO DEPLATFORMING ATTEMPTS.

THAT’S WHEN SCHOOLS TRY TO SANCTION STUDENTS, STUDENT GROUPS AND SPEAKERS FOR SPEECH PROTECTED UNDER FIRST AMENDMENT STANDARDS.

UP TO 72-PERCENT OF STUDENTS WHO RESPONDED SAID THEY OPPOSE CONSERVATIVE SPEAKERS ON THEIR CAMPUS –

WHILE 43-PERCENT OPPOSE ALLOWING A LIBERAL SPEAKER.

ONLY 47 SCHOOLS HAVE AT LEAST A “SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE” SPEECH CLIMATE ON CAMPUS.

PLUS – 26-PERCENT OF 55-THOUSAND STUDENTS WHO RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY — ALSO SAID THEY CENSOR THEMSELVES A FEW TIMES A WEEK WHILE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR FRIENDS.

25-PERCENT ALSO SAID THEY’RE MORE LIKELY TO CENSOR THEMSELVES NOW COMPARED TO WHEN THEY STARTED COLLEGE.

NEARLY HALF – 49-PERCENT OF STUDENTS SAID “ABORTION” IS DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT HONESTLY WHILE CONVERSING ON CAMPUS.

AND – 27-PERCENT OF STUDENTS SAID USING VIOLENCE TO SOME DEGREE TO STOP FREE SPEECH ON CAMPUS IS ACCEPTABLE TO SOME DEGREE – UP FROM 20-PERCENT THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THE TOP FOUR SCHOOLS…

MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE…

AUBURN UNIVERSITY…

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE…

AND OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY…

ALL RECEIVED A “GOOD SPEECH” CLIMATE RATING.