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.
67.4 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
36 Treanding Up
/ 257
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.
2
Overview
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville ranks 36 out of 257 schools in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 67 and a D+ speech climate grade. UT Knoxville improved over last year, helped by the administration's swift public defense of the College Republicans after complaints about the group's social media posts, which earned the school a small bonus and offset an earlier penalty.Student perceptions place UT Knoxville in the top 25 for perceived “Administrative Support” of free expression, and the university earns a “green light” Spotlight rating — both bright spots in its profile.
UT Knoxville could solidify its gains by formally adopting the Chicago Statement and an official commitment to institutional neutrality.
Highlights
48% 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.
32% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
1.82:1
There are roughly 1.82 conservative students for every one liberal student.
Spotlight Rating
Green
Score over time
Student Voices
In a class my teacher seemed bias and if I expressed my opinion I thought it would affect my grade
After the 2024 election students were berating others because of who they had voted for.
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Score Calculator
'How to Improve Your School' Score Calculator
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 Tennessee, Knoxville.
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.
67.4 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 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
36 Treanding Up
/ 257
A comparison of 257 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.
2
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
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).
F
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).
D-
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.
2
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.
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.
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 2025 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Rose Abramoff | Rose Abramoff was fired by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (affiliated and managed by University of Tennessee) after urging fellow scientists to take action on climate change. | -1.0 | Read More |
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville | College Republicans | Students contacted administrators requesting action against College Republicans for having mocked the university’s “Consent Is” campaign on social media. The University Center for Health and Wellness created and promoted T-shirts as part of its sexual assault prevention campaign. College Republicans soon thereafter posted a screenshot of the shirts with the captions “these shirts are so gay and libtard coded” and “WAIT UNTIL MARRIAGE.” A Reddit thread was then created in response to the post, wherein users announced they had contacted administrators. The program director for the Office of the Dean of Students would ultimately defend the group’s expressive rights. | +1.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
I am nervous about speaking about my political views as someone left leaning in a heavily republican area.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 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.
