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.
58.5 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
166 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).
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.
4
Overview
The University of Michigan ranks 166 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 58 and an F speech climate grade, falling 61 places from last year.Michigan lands in the bottom 25 for “Comfort Expressing Ideas,” showing students feel uncomfortable sharing views on controversial topics. The data shows no top 50 strengths.
Michigan’s board has affirmed an official commitment to institutional neutrality, and the university has also affirmed the pro-free speech Chicago Statement. The campus retains a “yellow light” Spotlight rating. Michigan should revise its student policies to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating. It should respond clearly and forcefully to defend free speech whenever censorship occurs or is demanded. Doing so will demonstrate the university’s commitment to free speech and build community trust that the administration will defend expressive rights.
Highlights
41% 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.
28% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
4.58:1
There are roughly 4.58 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
DEI being removed from the university caused me to stay silent about the Palestine stuff
I think in class discussions in particular, it's hard to gauge the classroom environment and whether or not certain statements will receive a negative response. There is a tendency for very opinionated individuals to overpower an open discussion, which can create an unwelcoming environment for those who may disagree. In addition, if a professor indicates a bias or preference for a particular stance on a topic, which happens relatively frequently, a student will be deterred from contributing their perspective.
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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 the University of Michigan.
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.
58.5 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.
166 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).
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.
4
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
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.
4
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.
3
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.
1
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.
0
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Michigan | Lydia Morris Fettig | Fettig, a lecturer of academic writing at the university, came under scrutiny for a social media post she made following news of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Fettig shared a comment on Facebook referencing Kirk’s past remarks about the Second Amendment, writing that his death was “prudent and rational.” Screenshots of her post circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from state politicians, including Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, who condemned her comments as an endorsement of political violence. Critics called on the University of Michigan to take disciplinary action. The university has not confirmed any formal sanctions or investigations against Fettig, though her faculty profile was removed from the school’s website. | -2.0 | Read More |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Michigan | William Leonard Pickard | Organizers of the 5th annual Entheofest — a student-run festival traditionally held on the University of Michigan’s Diag — say the university denied their space permit for Sept. 21, 2025. They told MLive/“The Ann Arbor News” the application was rejected because U-M believed the event “promotes illegal substances.” The university cited concerns about the sale of illegal substances by unofficial vendors at the prior year's festival in its letter to the Student Association for Psychedelic Studies, the organizers of the event. The denial effectively canceled the on-campus festival and its scheduled keynote by William Leonard Pickard. | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | University of Michigan | Visual History of the Unions | In fall 2025, the University of Michigan Arts Initiative and University Unions mounted “Visual History of the Unions,” an exhibit in the Michigan Union featuring commissioned works by Stamps School of Art & Design alumni and students. The show was originally slated to open on Oct. 16 with works installed in high-traffic ground-floor spaces of the Union, but university officials delayed the opening until November 6, and then moved most of the exhibit to the less-trafficked upstairs Opera Lounge. They also limited the run of the exhibit to roughly six weeks, even as public-facing university websites now present the Opera Lounge dates and location as the official plan. Tahrir Coalition – March 28, 2024, a documentary-style quilt created by Toby Millman which depicts students with Palestinian flags protesting Israel’s assault on Gaza inside the Union, was one of the pieces of art relocated. When the exhibition was initially postponed without a clear reason, many of the artists learned that while it was the Tahrir Coalition piece that triggered their attention, university officials had also tried to edit many of the artwork statements because they commented on issues related to gender, sexuality, and politics. | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | University of Michigan | Honors Convocation | After all of the student awards at 101st Annual Honors Convocation had been handed out, student protesters interrupted university president Santa Ono's remarks by holding up signs that said "No Honor in Genocide," "Divest Now," and "30,000 killed," and chanting "Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes." Ono left the stage, ending the event early. | 0.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
I didn't want to attend any protests in the fall because I was worried I would get my visa revoked.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of Michigan 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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