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.
63.1 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.
112 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.
5
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).
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 Michigan 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-.Michigan Technological University ranks 4 overall and is the top-ranked school in the state. MTU holds a “green light” Spotlight rating and ranks first in the country for “Political Tolerance,” suggesting openness to controversial speakers. It has adopted the pro-free speech Chicago Statement.
Michigan State University (70) has adopted the Chicago Statement and institutional neutrality. The University of Michigan’s Board of Regents has affirmed both, yet UM is the lowest-ranked school in the state at 166. Western Michigan University (110) has adopted only neutrality. Every school other than MTU holds a “yellow light” rating. Revising restrictive student policies and expanding public commitments would help improve these schools’ speech climates.
Highlights
39% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
67% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
29% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
2.54:1
Across Michigan, there are roughly 2.54 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 Michigan. 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.
5
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.
0
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.
2
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
Scholars Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of Michigan | Lydia Morris Fettig | Fettig, a lecturer of academic writing at the university, came under scrutiny for a social media post she made following news of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Fettig shared a comment on Facebook referencing Kirk’s past remarks about the Second Amendment, writing that his death was “prudent and rational.” Screenshots of her post circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from state politicians, including Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, who condemned her comments as an endorsement of political violence. Critics called on the University of Michigan to take disciplinary action. The university has not confirmed any formal sanctions or investigations against Fettig, though her faculty profile was removed from the school’s website. | -2.0 | Read More |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Michigan State University | Hasan Piker | In late March of 2026, criticism mounted over a planned April 7 campus campaign rally featuring U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Rep. Summer Lee, and political commentator Hasan Piker. El-Sayed’s campaign announced the event as part of a college campus tour focused on student debt relief, economic justice, and workers’ rights. After the announcement, MSU Hillel, through the Jewish Student Union, said it was “deeply troubled” by Piker’s planned appearance and argued that inviting him to campus would create a “hostile environment” for Jewish students, citing his alleged antisemitism and the climate of heightened fear following the recent attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. The criticism followed broader denunciations of Piker from Democratic politicians and advocacy groups, but El-Sayed said he would continue speaking to voters through whatever channels he could. Piker is still scheduled to appear on campus in April. | +1.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | University of Michigan | William Leonard Pickard | Organizers of the 5th annual Entheofest — a student-run festival traditionally held on the University of Michigan’s Diag — say the university denied their space permit for Sept. 21, 2025. They told MLive/“The Ann Arbor News” the application was rejected because U-M believed the event “promotes illegal substances.” The university cited concerns about the sale of illegal substances by unofficial vendors at the prior year's festival in its letter to the Student Association for Psychedelic Studies, the organizers of the event. The denial effectively canceled the on-campus festival and its scheduled keynote by William Leonard Pickard. | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | University of Michigan | Visual History of the Unions | In fall 2025, the University of Michigan Arts Initiative and University Unions mounted “Visual History of the Unions,” an exhibit in the Michigan Union featuring commissioned works by Stamps School of Art & Design alumni and students. The show was originally slated to open on Oct. 16 with works installed in high-traffic ground-floor spaces of the Union, but university officials delayed the opening until November 6, and then moved most of the exhibit to the less-trafficked upstairs Opera Lounge. They also limited the run of the exhibit to roughly six weeks, even as public-facing university websites now present the Opera Lounge dates and location as the official plan. Tahrir Coalition – March 28, 2024, a documentary-style quilt created by Toby Millman which depicts students with Palestinian flags protesting Israel’s assault on Gaza inside the Union, was one of the pieces of art relocated. When the exhibition was initially postponed without a clear reason, many of the artists learned that while it was the Tahrir Coalition piece that triggered their attention, university officials had also tried to edit many of the artwork statements because they commented on issues related to gender, sexuality, and politics. | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | University of Michigan | Honors Convocation | After all of the student awards at 101st Annual Honors Convocation had been handed out, student protesters interrupted university president Santa Ono's remarks by holding up signs that said "No Honor in Genocide," "Divest Now," and "30,000 killed," and chanting "Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes." Ono left the stage, ending the event early. | 0.0 | Read More |
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Rankings and Survey Results
Rankings and Survey Results
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