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.
59.5 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
140 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.
1
Overview
Boston University ranks 140 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 60 and a D- speech climate grade. BU received a penalty after administrators removed pride flags from professors’ office windows, raising concerns about discriminatory policy enforcement.BU’s board has affirmed the pro-free speech Chicago Statement, but the university retains a “yellow light” Spotlight rating. BU lands in the bottom 50 for “Administrative Support,” meaning students doubt the administration will defend free speech during controversies. The data shows no counterbalancing top 50 strengths.
BU should revise its student policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating and adopt an official commitment to institutional neutrality. Given its weak showing on “Administrative Support,” BU should respond clearly and forcefully to defend free speech whenever censorship occurs or is demanded.
Highlights
40% 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.
34% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
8.48:1
There are roughly 8.48 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
I go to a very liberal school, so this happens often where I do not share my points of view that I truly feel because I am scared to be hated by others.
About trump as an international student
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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 Boston 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.
59.5 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.
140 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
0
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 | Boston University | Liz Bettini/Nathan Phillips | Bettini and Phillips, professors, had pride flags removed from their office windows by university administrators while campus buildings were largely empty for spring break. The university said the displays were "outward-facing" and violated its Events and Demonstrations Policy, which bars unattended signs or flags affixed to university property such as windows and doors, and that the policy is "content-neutral." Phillips, Bettini and allied faculty members argued that the university was selectively enforcing the policy against LGBTQ expression and treating a pride flag as if it were equivalent to hateful expression. Faculty members also tied the removals to a broader pattern of speech restrictions on campus, while administrators maintained that people could still display such messages on interior office walls or approved bulletin boards. | -1.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
During class, after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, I Felt I could not express how negatively I viewed his opinions and actions because my teacher, as well as other students, were nervous about speaking due to known censorship from our administration.
sometimes when speaking about immigration status, people must be super careful to not share explicitly immigration status and/or legal name details and such to avoid students calling ice
The charlie kirk situation while I do not agree with his political views I did not agree with him being murdered. A lot of people did not understand that and thought not agreeing with his murder meant you supported him.
Having the gender studies department hang up pride flags and the administration took them down
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at Boston 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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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.
