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.
52.4 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
249 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.
1
Overview
Drexel University ranks 249 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 52 and an F speech climate grade. It was penalized after removing a commencement speaker this year.Drexel ranks in the top 50 for “Openness,” meaning fewer contentious topics feel off-limits to students. Its “Self-Censorship” rank fell 119 places from last year, indicating students hesitate to speak. Its “Political Tolerance” rank jumped 104 places, showing greater student willingness to host controversial speakers. Drexel lands in the bottom 25 for “Disruptive Conduct,” showing high student acceptance of non-peaceful protest.
Drexel earns a “red light” Spotlight rating. It should revise student codes to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating, adopt the pro-free speech Chicago Statement, and adopt institutional neutrality. Drexel should clearly and forcefully defend free expression whenever censorship occurs or is demanded.
Highlights
39% 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.
38% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
4.86:1
There are roughly 4.86 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Red
Score over time
Student Voices
I just hold back on my real beliefs in case the professor will grade me unfairly. It’s easier
When students who supported a specific cause ended up getting expelled
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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 Drexel 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.
52.4 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 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
249 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.
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).
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.
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 2026 The number of controversies that have occurred since the previous launch of the College Free Speech Rankings.
1
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Drexel University | David Kaganovsky | After the university's College of Computing and Informatics invited Kaganovsky, an alumnus and former member of CCI's advisory board, to deliver its commencement address, a student discovered and circulated screenshots of Kaganovsky’s prior social media posts, sparking controversy. Student objections centered on posts characterized in the article as anti-Muslim, anti-Indian, and vulgar. Students raised concerns to the administration, including to the interim dean. After those objections reached university leadership, Kaganovsky was removed as keynote and replaced by Chris Cera. The university stated that it was “mutually agreed” that Kaganovsky would step back so the ceremony would not be distracted. | -1.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
the school is too liberal for anyone to have their own opinion without getting “canceled” or threats
Controversial topics, maybe bringing up opinions on both sides, we live in a very black and white tribalism world. You're either with us or against us which does not maximize progress.
regarding israel/palestine conflict, when there were encampments that were violently shut down by police, i felt like i could not talk about the situation or express my opinion on social media without consequences.
its just hard as an international student to be able to say something because the repercussions could be severe than in normal cases
During the recent ICE raids, it has been difficult to talk about because of how divisive the arguments have been regarding how is in the wrong/who is to blame.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at Drexel 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.
