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.
60.7 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
117 Treanding Up
/ 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).
D-
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.
5
Overview
Georgetown University ranks 117 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 61 and a D- speech climate grade.It jumped 126 places from last year into the top 25 for “Political Tolerance,” showing comparatively greater student willingness to host speakers across the ideological spectrum, but tumbled 108 places into the bottom 50 for “Disruptive Conduct,” signaling student acceptance of non-peaceful forms of protest.
Georgetown has adopted the pro-free speech Chicago Statement, but it earns a “yellow light” Spotlight rating. It should revise student policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating and adopt an official commitment to institutional neutrality. Georgetown should respond clearly and forcefully to defend free speech whenever censorship occurs or is demanded.
Highlights
43% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
79% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
27% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
5.89:1
There are roughly 5.89 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
My roommate and I have very differing views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Neither one of us has spoken of this, but we are both able to see via social media which side we are on. We are friendly with each other, but it is an unspoken rule to me that I will not bring up this topic to avoid conflict to make the living environment more comfortable.
When students as well as professors were actively on social media with opinions that contradicted my own in extreme ways. As well as police presence.
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Every school's score is shaped by campus policies. Adjust the factors below to see how different policies affect the ranking for Georgetown University.
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.
60.7 Treanding Up
/ 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.
117 Treanding Up
/ 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).
D-
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.
5
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
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.
5
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.
2
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.
2
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.
2
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.
2
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Georgetown University | Francesca Albanese | Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for Palestinian rights and an affiliated scholar at the university's Institute for the Study of International Migration, was sanctioned by the U.S. government for “political and economic warfare” against the U.S. and Israel and for her “unabashed antisemitism.” The university then terminated its affiliation with Albanese because “U.S. institutions are prohibited by federal law from affiliating with individuals subject to U.S. sanctions." | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | Georgetown University | Badar Khan Suri | Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at the university’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU), was arrested by masked federal agents detained outside his home shortly after he returned from a Ramadan gathering. Despite holding a valid J-1 visa, he was accused by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media. DHS officials also cited his familial connection — his father-in-law is alleged to be a senior advisor to Hamas — as a basis for his detention. Following his arrest, Khan Suri was rapidly transferred to detention centers in Louisiana and then Texas, without prior notification to his family or legal counsel. Khan Suri's attorneys, including representatives from the ACLU, argue that his detention is a retaliatory act against his and his wife's support for Palestinian rights, infringing upon his First Amendment rights. The university has expressed concern over Khan Suri's detention and emphasized its commitment to supporting its community members and upholding academic freedom. Notably, over 130 Jewish students, faculty, staff, and alumni from the university signed a public letter condemning Khan Suri's detention. A few months later, the White House agreed to allow Khan Suri to return to his position, although litigation continues over efforts to deport him because of his alleged ties to Hamas. | +1.0 | Read More |
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Georgetown University | College Republicans | Students demanded the university condemn, investigate, and strip College Republicans of access to campus resources after the group posted on social media that “Muslims have no place in American society.” In response to the post, the president of the Student Association announced they were "actively reaching out to admin...to ensure the situation gets properly addressed," while the College Democrats encouraged students to file bias reports with administrators and demanded that College Republicans be investigated, stripped of their access to benefits, and bared from using the university’s name. Though College Republicans deleted their original post, administrators announced they were “reviewing” the matter. | -1.0 | Read More |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Georgetown University | Robert M. Groves | During the university's senior convocation, about 25 to 30 student protesters walked out and chanted during interim university president Robert M. Groves's remarks. The protest targeted Groves over Georgetown’s refusal to divest from companies tied to Israel’s military, its alleged complicity in “genocide,” worker pay and treatment, and demands for a “sanctuary campus.” The protesters intentionally interrupted Groves’s speech, unfurled signs and banners, and chanted until university officials and GUPD escorted them out; the disruption delayed the speech by about 45 seconds, after which the event continued and Groves finished his remarks. | +1.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | Georgetown University | Brandon Straka/Gothix/Natalie Beisner/Shemeka Michelle | Brandon Straka, Gothix, Natalie Beisner, and Shemeka Michelle were scheduled to appear at an event hosted by the Georgetown College Republicans. Several days prior to the event, school administrators informed the College Republicans and the speakers that an additional security fee of $4,000 was required to hold the event. Administrators also informed the speakers that the first four rows of the auditorium would be roped off so no one in attendance could be near them. The speakers agreed to the administration's requests. A few days later, the speakers were notified that the event had been canceled because there wasn't sufficient time to deal with security concerns. | -1.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
I was working on a research paper and thought a professor would likely give me a worse grade, regardless of the quality of my arguments.
As a Jewish student, I have been hesitant to share opinions about Israel/Palestine for fear of backlash from both fellow Jewish students and anti-Zionist students
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at Georgetown University 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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