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.
49.2 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
246 Treanding Down
/ 257
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
Howard University ranks 246 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 49, an F speech climate grade. The university still earns a “red light” Spotlight rating and has not adopted either the Chicago Statement or an official commitment to institutional neutrality, leaving key policy obstacles in place.Despite these structural shortcomings, Howard places in the top 25 for both “Comfort Expressing Ideas” and “Openness,” suggesting many students feel at ease sharing their views. But the school ranks in the bottom 25 for “Political Tolerance” and in the bottom 50 for “Disruptive Conduct,” indicating a campus climate where dissenting speakers face hostility and events risk interruption.
Howard could strengthen its free speech culture by revising restrictive speech policies to earn a “green light” or at least a “yellow light” Spotlight rating, as well as adopting the Chicago Statement and an official commitment to institutional neutrality.
Highlights
37% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
74% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
35% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
13.39:1
There are roughly 13.39 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Red
Score over time
Student Voices
During the 2024 election, my college campus strongly supported a particular candidate, with celebrations and widespread student backing. However, this created an environment where expressing support for another candidate felt socially unacceptable. As a freshman, I quickly realized that voicing a different opinion could lead to exclusion or hostility. I saw other students who disagreed being dismissed or treated poorly, which pressured me into staying silent to avoid being socially isolated. This demonstrates how political pressure on college campuses can suppress open dialogue, as students may choose to conform rather than risk negative social consequences.
Usually my classes and peers promote discussions like this to have a healthy debate but times where I feel I can't express myself are my experiences as a low income, first gen student because others grew up in higher income households do our experiences are different
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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 Howard 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.
49.2 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 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
246 Treanding Down
/ 257
A comparison of 257 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
Red
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).
B-
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.
0
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 2025 The number of controversies that have occurred since the previous launch of the College Free Speech Rankings.
0
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Howard University | Dwain N. Esmond | Esmond was invited to be the keynote speaker at a graduation ceremony for nursing students. After the venue for the ceremony reached capacity, school administrators locked the doors of the auditorium. During Esmond’s remarks, dozens of people locked out of the ceremony pounded on the doors chanting “Let us in!” A window was smashed. Administrators then informed students and their guests that “because of the size of the room and because our relatives sometimes do not know how to act, the fire department is now here to shut us down.” The DC Fire and EMS Department denied shutting down the event and said that they had responded to a medical incident called in by the campus police. The ceremony did not resume. | -2.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
I don't always say my opinion on abortion because I know a lot of people here are pro choice but I believe in pro life. I can't say that out loud though because I would get shunned.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at Howard 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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The College Free Speech Rankings are based on student surveys, campus policies, and recent speech-related controversies.
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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.
