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.
72.6 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
23 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).
C
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.
2
Overview
University of Colorado Boulder ranks 23 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 73 and a C speech climate grade.While the data shows no top 50 strengths or bottom 50 weaknesses, the university’s rank for “Disruptive Conduct” tumbled 105 places from last year, showing increasing student acceptance of non-peaceful forms of protest.
The campus earns a “green light” Spotlight rating. CU Boulder has adopted a statement on institutional neutrality and is part of the University of Colorado System, which has affirmed the pro-free speech Chicago Statement. CU Boulder should respond clearly and forcefully to defend free speech whenever censorship occurs or is demanded. Doing so will demonstrate the university’s commitment to free speech and build community trust that the administration will defend expressive rights.
Highlights
31% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
76% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
30% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
6.16:1
There are roughly 6.16 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Green
Score over time
Student Voices
Following the 2024 election, many grieving and upset voters verbally condemned those who had opposing views and voted for the opposite party, an even greater amount on social media. I simply choose not to express my political opinions as I see no need to make that public.
I cannot participate in protests calling for my school to stop funding Israeli war efforts because I am worried about violence and administrative reprimands.
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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 Colorado Boulder.
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.
72.6 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.
23 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).
C
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.
2
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
Adopted
Institutional Neutrality
Adopted
Spotlight Rating
Green
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).
D-
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.
2
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.
1
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.
0
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Colorado Boulder | Ašiihkionkonci Parker | The University of Colorado suspended Parker, a journalist with the independent newspaper “El Diario de la Gente,” after they covered a protest at a university career fair. The protest, led by Students for Justice in Palestine, involved demonstrators linking arms and chanting around a Lockheed Martin booth. Parker filmed and photographed the event from outside the protest circle. The next day, the university notified Parker that they had been suspended for violating multiple university policies. | -1.0 | Read More |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Colorado Boulder | "The Time That Remains" | Boulder Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the student filmmaking collective Give Us The F-ing Camera (GUT-C) planned to screen “The Time That Remains” in an auditorium inside the university's ATLAS Institute. As students arrived to set up, university police officers blocked people from entering the space and informed organizers they could not proceed; reporting based on a police report indicates university “executive leadership” asked police to respond rather than engage the groups beforehand. Administrators said the screening violated campus event procedures — stating the groups failed to complete an Event Management Form required for certain events (including after-hours and public events) and that SJP was “not in good standing,” making it ineligible to host or co-host on campus. Organizers disputed that explanation, saying the room had been reserved through the usual process (with an email confirmation) and alleging the university was selectively targeting SJP’s Palestine-related activity; GUT-C also said an officer warned the registered group it could face sanctions if the screening went forward. The screening was canceled that night and later rescheduled, according to one account. | -2.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
Professors are very liberal and it constricts any sort of other view
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of Colorado Boulder 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.
