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.
57.3 Treanding Down
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 261 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
193 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.
2
Overview
Texas Tech University ranks 193 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 57 and an F speech climate grade, falling 91 places from last year.Texas Tech ranks in the top 50 for “Political Tolerance,” showing student willingness to host controversial speakers. It lands in the bottom 50 for “Openness,” meaning contentious topics feel off-limits, and tumbled 137 places from last year into the bottom 50 for “Comfort Expressing Ideas” this year, showing discomfort with sharing views.
Texas Tech retains a “yellow light” Spotlight rating. It should revise student codes to earn a “green light” Spotlight rating, adopt the pro-free speech Chicago Statement, and adopt an official commitment to institutional neutrality. Texas Tech should clearly and forcefully defend free speech whenever censorship occurs or is demanded.
Highlights
49% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
70% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
36% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
1.02:1
There are roughly 1.02 conservative students for every one liberal student.
Spotlight Rating
Yellow
Score over time
Student Voices
When I write essays I try and always write from a liberal point of view
There were student protesting for palestine freedom. i wanted to join them, but they were being physically harassed and people were relentlessly bullying them on social media and even one of my professors made negative comments. it was a peaceful protest
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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 Texas Tech 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.
57.3 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.
193 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.
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
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).
D
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).
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.
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.
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.
2
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Texas Tech University | Matthew Pehl | Pehl, a professor of history at the university, was pulled into the Texas Tech University System’s new review regime for classroom content touching on race, sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. After Texas Tech System Chancellor Brandon Creighton issued a December memo directing faculty to disclose “implicated” course content for review (and warning noncompliance could trigger “disciplinary action”), Pehl submitted readings from his courses through the system’s online disclosure form, which faculty critics reportedly dubbed a “censorship portal.” Pehl’s class was allowed to proceed only after he signed a statement agreeing not to teach certain content unless it was approved by the Board of Regents. Pehl disclosed two readings for review — one involving 19th-century wage labor in Baltimore and another focused on immigrant women working in California canneries. Rather than quietly removing the material, Pehl marked the readings as “censored” in his syllabus and emailed students explaining why the books could not be taught, saying he wanted documentation that he’d been censored and wanted students to understand what was happening. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | Texas Tech University | Will Crescioni | Crescioni, a lecturer of psychology at the university, became entangled in Texas Tech System leadership’s expanding review of course materials touching on race, sex, gender, and sexuality. According to reporting that reviewed email exchanges, Crescioni submitted an honors-level psychology course for full review because those topics were “woven throughout” the class. Under the review process tied to Chancellor Brandon Creighton’s guidance, only content required for professional licensure or patient care could remain outside review, and Crescioni indicated the course did not qualify for that carveout. The department chair then requested specific “implicated content” for review and later asked whether Crescioni would postpone that content while awaiting approval. Crescioni replied that postponing it would not be “feasible or ethical,” and the chair canceled the course two days before the semester began — without elevating the matter to the dean, provost, or board of regents, per the media accounts. | -1.0 | Read More |
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More Student Voices
It mainly pertains to assignments. I may feel that I have to give a certain answer or the professor will impact my grade in a certain negative way.
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at Texas Tech 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.
