Overall Score The Overall Score is made up of 12 parts. Six measure how students feel about free speech on campus. Three look at school speech policies. The last three look at how people on campus respond during speech controversies. A higher score reflects a better free speech climate.
56.6 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
200 Treanding Down
/ 261
Overall 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).
F
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.
1
Overview
University of California, San Diego ranks 200 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 57 and an F speech climate grade. Its score includes a penalty after a student government candidate was disqualified over protected speech this year.UC San Diego lands in the bottom 50 on “Political Tolerance” and “Disruptive Conduct,” indicating reduced student willingness to host controversial speakers and student acceptance of non-peaceful forms of protest. It ranks in the bottom 50 on “Comfort Expressing Ideas,” showing discomfort sharing views.
It earns a “yellow light” Spotlight rating. UC San Diego should revise student policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating and adopt the pro-free speech Chicago Statement and institutional neutrality. Given this year’s incident, it should clearly and forcefully defend free speech whenever censorship occurs or is demanded.
Highlights
32% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
77% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
34% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
6.48:1
There are roughly 6.48 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
In short, it's when you highlight conservative points even without agreement, or just when you bring it up for the sake of argument. The school itself seems slightly welcoming, however it's the glances afterward or the lack of communication that would have otherwise been there had you kept shut that stops me.
During my sophomore year, I took a sociology course where we discussed a controversial public policy issue. Most of the class seemed to share the same perspective, and the discussion quickly became emotionally charged. A few students who expressed mild disagreement were met with visible frustration, classmates interrupted them or framed their comments as insensitive rather than engaging with their arguments.
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Score Calculator
'How to Improve Your School' Score Calculator
Every school's score is shaped by campus policies. Adjust the factors below to see how different policies affect the ranking for the University of California, San Diego.
Score Deep Dive
Inside the Score
Explore the key factors shaping this score. This section provides a detailed look at the data, policies, and student experiences that influence free speech on campus.
Overall Score The Overall Score is made up of 12 parts. Six measure how students feel about free speech on campus. Three look at school speech policies. The last three look at how people on campus respond during speech controversies. A higher score reflects a better free speech climate.
56.6 Treanding Down
/ 100
This score out of 100 reflects how open and supportive a campus is for free speech, based on student surveys, campus policies, and recent speech-related controversies.
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
200 Treanding Down
/ 261
A comparison of 261 U.S. colleges and universities on free speech, based on overall scores from student surveys, campus policies, and speech-related controversies.
Overall 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).
F
A school’s speech climate, shown as a letter grade (A–F), based on its overall score from student surveys, campus policies, and speech-related controversies.
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.
1
Reflect recent incidents where a speaker, professor, student, or student group faced efforts to punish, disinvite, or silence them for expressing a controversial view.
Chicago Statement for Free Speech
Not Adopted
Institutional Neutrality
Not Adopted
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
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
Speech Controversies
Speech Controversies: When Free Expression Is Challenged
Explore notable incidents where free speech was tested on campus. From speaker deplatformings to administrative actions, these events highlight the challenges — and consequences — of restricting expression.
Total 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.
1
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.
0
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.
1
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
0
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 2026 The number of controversies that have occurred since the previous launch of the College Free Speech Rankings.
1
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | University of California, San Diego | Aydin Yelkovan | The Associated Students of the UC San Diego disqualified student government candidate Aydin Yelkovan from office after finding him responsible for multiple election code violations tied to protected speech. The controversy arose during the 2026 Associated Students election for executive vice president of external affairs, when a student-run electoral commission issued Yelkovan formal warnings under rules requiring candidates to campaign in a “civil, decent, and respectful manner” and restricting candidates’ association with one another. After Yelkovan accumulated three formal warnings — including over social media activity and campaign-related speech — he was automatically disqualified alongside another leading candidate, allowing the incumbent, who had placed third in the initial vote count, to win the race. Yelkovan publicly alleged that he had been “illegally disqualified over protected speech,” and FIRE later demanded that the university and student government reinstate him and revise the election code, arguing that the policies used to punish Yelkovan are impermissibly overbroad. | -1.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
In my opinion, sharing controversial opinions in front of staff and other students can be a risk to yourself and others, even if you have strong beliefs you believe are correct. For example, in classroom discussions, I refrain from expressing any of my opinions which could be wrongly interpreted, as to protect myself and others from people who may disagree, even if the consequences are verbal and not physical.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of California, San Diego perceive free speech on their campus. This section breaks down survey responses to key questions, providing insights into overall trends as well as demographic differences in how students experience free expression.
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See Your School's Ranking
The College Free Speech Rankings are based on student surveys, campus policies, and recent speech-related controversies.
FIRE Fights for Your Rights
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression defends and sustains the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.
