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.
60.6 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
119 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).
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
University of Florida ranks 119 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 61 and a D- speech climate grade. UF dropped 74 places from last year and was penalized after a political student organization was deactivated.UF ranks in the bottom 50 for “Comfort Expressing Ideas,” indicating discomfort sharing views on controversial topics. The data shows no top 50 strengths.
UF maintains a “green light” Spotlight rating. UF is part of the State University System of Florida, which has affirmed the pro-free speech Chicago Statement. UF should also adopt an official commitment to institutional neutrality. Given this year’s student organization deactivation, UF should respond clearly and forcefully to defend free speech whenever censorship occurs or is demanded.
Highlights
38% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
68% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
26% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
2.24:1
There are roughly 2.24 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Green
Score over time
Student Voices
After the clearing of the encampment, when the state government forced the university to take a pro-Israel line and punish speech in support of Palestine
When a professor strongly hints at their political affiliation, I feel that I should not express my opinions about how I feel about topic since they have authority over my academic standing.
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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.
60.6 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.
119 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).
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
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).
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.
1
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.
2
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.
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
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Florida | Jeffrey Harrison | Harrison, an emeritus professor of law at the university, had his emeritus status rescinded after a social media post about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Harrison wrote that he “did not want [Kirk] to die” but “reserve[d] that wish for Trump,” and compared Kirk to “members of the Gestapo and guards at the concentration camps. The post triggered online backlash, including public calls for UF to cut ties with Harrison; one widely shared example was activist Scott Presler urging that Harrison “lose any affiliation” with UF. In response, the university announced it had rescinded the retired faculty member’s emeritus status, but did not name Harrison in its initial statement. After the announcement, Harrison’s law school profile/emeritus listing was also reported as removed. | -4.0 | Read More |
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | University of Florida | College Republicans | The University of Florida’s College Republicans chapter was deactivated as a registered student organization following calls for action after a controversial photo surfaced. The controversy arose within days of the group hosting investor and political candidate James Fishback, when a journalist circulated an image appearing to show members performing a Nazi salute, which the Florida Federation of College Republicans (FFCR) said reflected “a pattern of conduct that violated [its] rules and values.” The FFCR moved to disband the chapter and urged the university to revoke its recognition, while university officials publicly emphasized their commitment to combating antisemitism and supported the federation’s decision. The student group disputed FFCR’s authority — asserting it was affiliated instead with the College Republicans of America — and alleged it was being targeted for its political views, later filing a federal lawsuit claiming the university’s actions constituted viewpoint discrimination. In the weeks following the deactivation, the group also sought to host Fishback again for a chapter meeting, but alleged administrators warned it could not do so under its reservation, prompting further claims of First Amendment violations. | -3.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | University of Florida | Preston Damsky | The university suspended and later expelled Damsky after a series of controversial social media posts, including one where he quotes a historian saying "Jews must be abolished by any means necessary." While investigating Damsky, the university issued a trespass order making it a second-degree misdemeanor for him to set foot on campus for three years, justifying the decision by asserting that his "conduct became threatening and substantially disruptive." Damsky was ultimately expelled, and later sued the university, resulting in a federal judge ruling in his favor. | -2.0 | Read More |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Florida | Inertia/Nicki Mirage | Inertia and Mirage were scheduled to perform at the annual drag festival of SwampCon, a student run convention for anime enthusiasts. About a week before SwampCon, organizers announced that the event would proceed without drag performances. They cited Florida Senate Bill 266, the 2023 state law restricting public universities from spending funds on programs or activities that “advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, or promote or engage in political or social activism,” as the reason. Event organizers did explore alternatives, including renaming the event or funding it independently, but those ideas were rejected. SwampCon still took place, but without its annual drag show, while Inertia and Mirage staged an off-campus replacement event in protest. | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | University of Florida | Abi Fletcher/Judith Butler/Plestia Alaqad/Saree Makdisi/Umayyah Cable | Faculty members in the university's English department invited Fletcher and other Palestinian activists (Judith Butler, Saree Makdisi, Umayyah Cable, Plestia Alaqad, and Ranna Abduljawad) for a two-day symposium titled "Critical Conversations in the Humanities: The War in Israel/Palestine." Less than 24 hours before the event was scheduled to begin, university administrators withdrew support citing policy violations in how the faculty organizers promoted the event. The faculty, who alleged that the cancellation constituted viewpoint discrimination, moved the event off-campus to a local church where it occurred successfully. | -1.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
Sometimes, just the fear of someone taking your words and twisting them to potentially ruin your college career can be scary. I was once having a political discussion with some friends on campus and I pretty much sounded neutral the entire conversation because I was pretty much the only one who didn't agree with anyone else's views.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of Florida 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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