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.
56.9 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.
156 Treanding Down
/ 257
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).
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.
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).
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
Overview
Twelve Illinois schools are ranked in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings. The state’s average speech-climate grade is F, matching the national average.The University of Chicago ranks 3 overall and is the top-ranked school in the state. UChicago is the original author of the pro-free speech Chicago Statement and Kalven Report on institutional neutrality. Both of which the school continues to affirm as evidenced by its top performance on “Administrative Support,” suggesting that students believe the university would defend free speech during a controversy. Northwestern University ranks 119 and is the only other school in the state to have adopted both major statements.
Northeastern Illinois University follows, ranking 65. Most other Illinois schools rank far lower. Loyola University Chicago is the bottom-ranked school in the state at 248. Four of the 12 schools have “red light” policies, meaning their written policies clearly and substantially restrict protected expression.
Illinois is home to some of the nation’s strongest and weakest campus speech environments. Raising the floor through policy reform and broader commitment to expressive rights would help close the state’s gap.
Highlights
43% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
71% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
37% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
3.09:1
Across Illinois, there are roughly 3.09 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 Illinois. 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.
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.
3
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
4
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.
2
New in 2025 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | DePaul University | Anne D'Aquino | D’Aquino, a professor in the Health Sciences Department at the university, was dismissed following an optional assignment she provided in her “Health 194: Human Pathogens and Defense” course. This assignment invited students to analyze the biological and health impacts of the conflict in Gaza on Palestinians, encouraging scientific analysis and critical thinking regarding the effects of genocide on human biology. The university received multiple student complaints expressing discomfort with the introduction of political matters into the class. Administrators deemed the assignment unrelated to the course objectives and concluded it negatively affected the learning environment. Consequently, D’Aquino’s teaching appointment was terminated. | -2.0 | Read More |
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Illinois Chicago | Marie Ching | Administrators notified Ching that a report had been filed against her over Instagram posts that criticized another student’s lack of participation in a class group project, telling Ching that her posts may constitute harassment. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | Northwestern University | Jewish Voice for Peace | Administrators pressured Jewish Voice for Peace to amend its constitution, citing the school’s new anti-discrimination policy. The group’s constitution reads that “members are expected to be anti-Zionist and identify with Judaism.” However, this would violate the school’s new policy, which incorporates the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. According to that definition, “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of the State of Israel is a racist endeavor” is an example of antisemitism. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2023 | The University of Chicago | Turning Point USA | Turning Point USA was allegedly denied official club recognition because they “hadn’t proved that there was interest in the group” and it would be “too similar to College Republicans.” | -1.0 | Read More |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northwestern University | Assassins | The university’s student theater group, Lovers & Madmen, canceled the final two performances of Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Assassins” following backlash over the inclusion of a racial slur in the script. The controversy centered on the character John Wilkes Booth’s use of the N-word in the song “The Ballad of Booth,” which some students felt was harmful and insensitive. Prior to the show’s opening, the production team issued a content warning on social media, acknowledging the presence of the slur and providing resources to contextualize its use. Despite these efforts, many students expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that the inclusion of the word perpetuated a culture dismissive of black students’ concerns. Some called for the removal of the word from the script, while others demanded the cancellation of the remaining shows. The decision to cancel the performances was announced just before a scheduled show, leaving audience members with unredeemed tickets. In an official statement, Lovers & Madmen apologized for not engaging in meaningful conversations with the black community and acknowledged the harm caused by their actions. | -3.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | The University of Chicago | Jesse Menachem Ehrenfeld | Ehrenfeld, the new President of the American Medical Association, was invited to speak at the medical school by the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society about LGBT equity in medicine. During Ehrenfeld’s talk, student protesters began shouting over him, accusing him of Israeli “pinkwashing” and the AMA for not calling for a ceasefire in Israel and for being complicit in the deaths of Palestinian civilians. University security escorted the protesters out of the venue, and Ehrenfeld completed his remarks. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | Loyola University Chicago | Josh Hammer | Hammer’s debate with professor John Dehn was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters affiliated with the campus’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter. Hammer, who planned to speak about presidential immunity, was met with disruptive actions and personal accusations by attendees. After Hammer made a remark about needing to take the “trash” out and told the protesters that he “hope[d] their beepers don’t go off,” Dehn ended the event prematurely. Hammer later described the experience on X as harassment based on his Jewish identity and pro-Israel stance. | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2023 | The University of Chicago | Anna Levin-Rosen/Hannah Auerbach/Yossi Brackman | Chabad organized a group of students for a protest of Hamas’ attack on Israel on the university’s central quad. The group officially requested and reserved the space for five hours. As the demonstration began Students for Justice in Palestine disrupted the event, preventing Levin-Rosen, Auerbach, and Brackman from delivering their remarks. | 0.0 | Read More |
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Rankings and Survey Results
Rankings and Survey Results
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