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.
64.6 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
68 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.
3
Overview
Emory University ranks 68 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 65 and a D speech climate grade. Emory was penalized after administrators removed a professor this year following public pressure over her familial ties.Emory’s Faculty Senate has affirmed the pro-free speech Chicago Statement, and the university earns a “green light” Spotlight rating. However, the campus ranks in the bottom 50 for “Administrative Support,” indicating little student trust that officials will defend speech. The data shows no top 50 strengths.
Emory should adopt an official commitment to institutional neutrality. Given its weak showing on “Administrative Support,” administrators should respond clearly and forcefully to defend free speech whenever censorship occurs or is demanded.
Highlights
45% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
73% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
31% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
4.78:1
There are roughly 4.78 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Green
Score over time
Student Voices
Professors were fired for speaking their opinions.
I think most people here agree on a lot of controversial topics so they discuss them as a total truth and if someone were to speak out then they would become outcasts and most likely bullied online. I have a friend who had that happen to him. I don’t think I can express my opinion anywhere on campus because I care for my reputation.
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Score Calculator
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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 Emory 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.
64.6 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.
68 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.
3
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.
3
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.
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
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Emory University | Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani | Ardeshir-Larijani, a physician and assistant professor in the university's School of Medicine’s Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, became the target of public pressure after activists and political figures highlighted that she is Iranian and the daughter of Ali Larijani, a high-ranking Iranian official. Iranian-American demonstrators protested outside Winship, urging Emory to cut ties with Ardeshir-Larijani. Around the same time, a Change.org petition explicitly called for her deportation and framed her presence in the U.S. as unacceptable because of her family relationship to an Iranian leader. Pressure escalated when Rep. Buddy Carter issued a public demand that Emory remove Ardeshir-Larijani and also urged state action against her professional standing, arguing her “familial ties” made her continued employment unacceptable. Shortly thereafter, the university confirmed she was no longer employed. The student newspaper “The Emory Wheel” reported the School of Medicine dean informed faculty by email that she was no longer a university employee, and that her faculty/healthcare pages were no longer publicly accessible. | -3.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | Emory University | Anna Kenney | Kenney, a professor of pediatrics at the university, came under fire for her social media comments following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. After Kirk’s death was reported, Kenney posted messages on X that critics, including Rep. Derrick Van Orden and commentator Leo Terrell, condemned as celebrating the assassination. Screenshots of the posts circulated widely on social media, prompting backlash and calls for Emory to take action against her. In response to the controversy, Emory announced that Kenney was no longer employed by the university, effectively terminating her position. | -2.0 | Read More |
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Emory University | Kappa Sigma | Administrators placed Kappa Sigma on interim suspension and imposed a no-contact order prior to any hearing for "reports of hazing allegations," thereby prohibiting the group from a host of expressive activities including "social functions, new member education, chapter meetings, and philanthropy events" as well as "any functions, events, or activities on or off campus." | -1.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
They’ve shut down past protests
The April 2024 Palestine-Israel protests where we were pepper sprayed, arrested, etc
Being asked about israel/palestine, which comes up often, it is a fairly high stakes and very devicive topic
During a protest which I attended of the Palestine/ Israel conflict on campus where students were tear gassed, assaulted by police, and arrested for peacefully protesting and expressing their freedom of speech
Online university forums already show a good amount aggression and hostility towards disagreement. Anyone who spends a decent amount of time on campus or online on the forums should be able to tell this easily.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at Emory 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.
