Average Score The Average Score is the average of all Overall Scores from colleges in a state that were included in the College Free Speech Rankings.
63.9 Treanding Up
/ 100
Average Rank The Average Rank is the average of all Overall Ranks from colleges in a state that were included in the College Free Speech Rankings.
96 Treanding Down
/ 261
Average 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.
8
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).
B-
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).
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
Overview
Seven Florida schools are ranked in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings. The state’s average speech climate grade is D, compared to the national average of D-.Florida State University ranks 21 overall, the highest in the state, followed by the University of South Florida at 22. Both hold “green light” ratings in FIRE’s Spotlight database. The State University System of Florida’s Board of Governors has affirmed the pro-free speech Chicago Statement, applying to all six ranked public schools.
Florida International University ranks 83 and performs especially well for “Self-Censorship,” suggesting students rarely hold back their views. The University of Miami ranks lowest in the state at 253 and holds a “red light” rating. Reforming restrictive written student policies and adopting institutional neutrality would improve speech climates.
Some may wonder how Florida schools can earn a “green light” speech code rating or rank highly in the College Free Speech Rankings while FIRE is simultaneously litigating against the state’s Stop WOKE Act, which restricts instruction on certain concepts related to “race, color, national origin, or sex.” The answer lies in FIRE’s methodology: the speech code ratings and rankings reflect policies affecting student expression, not classroom instruction or faculty speech. Likewise, the survey component of the rankings captures the experiences of students — not faculty members — on their campuses.
Highlights
41% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
65% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
30% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
1.53:1
Across Florida, there are roughly 1.53 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Average score over time
Speech Controversies
Speech Controversies: When Free Expression Is Challenged
Explore notable incidents where free speech was tested on campuses across Florida. From speaker deplatformings to administrative actions, these events highlight the challenges — and consequences — of restricting expression.
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.
8
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.
4
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
2
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.
3
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Florida | Jeffrey Harrison | Harrison, an emeritus professor of law at the university, had his emeritus status rescinded after a social media post about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Harrison wrote that he “did not want [Kirk] to die” but “reserve[d] that wish for Trump,” and compared Kirk to “members of the Gestapo and guards at the concentration camps. The post triggered online backlash, including public calls for UF to cut ties with Harrison; one widely shared example was activist Scott Presler urging that Harrison “lose any affiliation” with UF. In response, the university announced it had rescinded the retired faculty member’s emeritus status, but did not name Harrison in its initial statement. After the announcement, Harrison’s law school profile/emeritus listing was also reported as removed. | -4.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | University of Miami | Michelle Bravo | Bravo, a neurologist and faculty member at the university's Miller School of Medicine, faced intense public backlash and institutional action following comments she made on social media about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Bravo's post said: "What was done to Charlie Kirk has been done to countless Palestinian babies, children, girls, boys, women and men not just over the past two years of the ongoing genocide, but decades. And whenever it happened, and it’s on camera and we all saw it, Charlie Kirk came out to say: ‘I love this, I want more of this. The people who did this are great and I love them and they should keep doing it forever.’ As Malcolm said, the chickens have come home to roost." The post drew swift public condemnation, with critics interpreting her remarks as condoning or justifying violence. Following the media attention, the university announced that Bravo was no longer employed at the institution. | -2.0 | Read More |
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida International University | Andrew Caro/Kaitlyn Daley/Four Unnamed Students | Administrators reportedly investigated Caro, Daley and four other students after they silently protested a campus event by standing and wearing anti-ICE shirts. The controversy arose in March 2026 when students attended an event featuring a discussion between FIU President Jeanette Nuñez and retired baseball player Alex Rodriguez and, without disrupting the speakers, stood in place wearing shirts reading “ICE OFF FIU.” As the students were leaving the venue, a campus security officer requested their IDs and suggested they may have violated university policies, but after faculty members who protested alongside them objected, the officer allowed them to leave. All six students later reportedly received notice that they were under investigation for possible conduct violations, including allegedly failing to “comply with a request or directive of a University Official or non-University law enforcement official in the performance of their duty.” | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | Florida International University | Gabriela Saldana | Saldana was arrested by campus police after a series of WhatsApp messages were reported as threatening. The controversy arose in April 2026 when Saldana sent messages in a 215-person group chat joking about bombs being dropped during a campus event, including asking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to drop bombs (in one message, “bonbons”) and writing “There is going to be a bomb in the Ocean Bank Convocation Center,” adding that another student would be responsible. Another participant in the chat reported the messages to campus police, who arrested Saldana the next day and charged her with making “a threat to kill or do bodily harm.” Saldana later described the messages as a “dumb joke” tied to a viral “Netanyahu Please” trend. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | University of Florida | College Republicans | The University of Florida’s College Republicans chapter was deactivated as a registered student organization following calls for action after a controversial photo surfaced. The controversy arose within days of the group hosting investor and political candidate James Fishback, when a journalist circulated an image appearing to show members performing a Nazi salute, which the Florida Federation of College Republicans (FFCR) said reflected “a pattern of conduct that violated [its] rules and values.” The FFCR moved to disband the chapter and urged the university to revoke its recognition, while university officials publicly emphasized their commitment to combating antisemitism and supported the federation’s decision. The student group disputed FFCR’s authority — asserting it was affiliated instead with the College Republicans of America — and alleged it was being targeted for its political views, later filing a federal lawsuit claiming the university’s actions constituted viewpoint discrimination. In the weeks following the deactivation, the group also sought to host Fishback again for a chapter meeting, but alleged administrators warned it could not do so under its reservation, prompting further claims of First Amendment violations. | -3.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | University of Florida | Preston Damsky | The university suspended and later expelled Damsky after a series of controversial social media posts, including one where he quotes a historian saying "Jews must be abolished by any means necessary." While investigating Damsky, the university issued a trespass order making it a second-degree misdemeanor for him to set foot on campus for three years, justifying the decision by asserting that his "conduct became threatening and substantially disruptive." Damsky was ultimately expelled, and later sued the university, resulting in a federal judge ruling in his favor. | -2.0 | Read More |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Florida | Inertia/Nicki Mirage | Inertia and Mirage were scheduled to perform at the annual drag festival of SwampCon, a student run convention for anime enthusiasts. About a week before SwampCon, organizers announced that the event would proceed without drag performances. They cited Florida Senate Bill 266, the 2023 state law restricting public universities from spending funds on programs or activities that “advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, or promote or engage in political or social activism,” as the reason. Event organizers did explore alternatives, including renaming the event or funding it independently, but those ideas were rejected. SwampCon still took place, but without its annual drag show, while Inertia and Mirage staged an off-campus replacement event in protest. | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | University of Florida | Abi Fletcher/Judith Butler/Plestia Alaqad/Saree Makdisi/Umayyah Cable | Faculty members in the university's English department invited Fletcher and other Palestinian activists (Judith Butler, Saree Makdisi, Umayyah Cable, Plestia Alaqad, and Ranna Abduljawad) for a two-day symposium titled "Critical Conversations in the Humanities: The War in Israel/Palestine." Less than 24 hours before the event was scheduled to begin, university administrators withdrew support citing policy violations in how the faculty organizers promoted the event. The faculty, who alleged that the cancellation constituted viewpoint discrimination, moved the event off-campus to a local church where it occurred successfully. | -1.0 | Read More |
Support the Fight for Free Speech
When you give to FIRE, you join a movement dedicated to restoring free speech as both a legal right and a cultural value celebrated by Americans everywhere. Donations are 100% tax-deductible. Please join us in this important work with a gift today!
Rankings and Survey Results
Rankings and Survey Results
Reach out to FIRE
Have a question or want to share your feedback? We'd love to hear from you! Use the button below to contact us.
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.
