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.
57.5 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.
178 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).
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.
16
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
Fifteen Pennsylvania schools are ranked in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings. The state’s average speech climate grade is F, below the national average of D-.Franklin & Marshall College ranks 62 overall and is the state’s top-ranked school. It holds a “yellow light” rating in FIRE’s Spotlight database. F&M has officially adopted both the pro-free speech Chicago Statement and a statement on institutional neutrality.
Gettysburg College (85) and Lehigh University (128) have also adopted the Chicago Statement, while the University of Pennsylvania (227) is the only other school to have adopted institutional neutrality. Most of the campuses maintain yellow light ratings. Lafayette College, Villanova University, and Drexel University hold “red light” ratings and rank near the bottom.
Reforming written student policies and reinforcing public commitments to expressive rights would help improve these schools’ speech climates.
Highlights
42% 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.
32% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
3.28:1
Across Pennsylvania, there are roughly 3.28 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 Pennsylvania. 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.
16
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.
0
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.
10
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
6
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.
4
Attempted Disruptions Attempted Disruptions are the number of incidents where people on campus try to stop a scheduled event or speaker.
1
New in 2026 The number of controversies that have occurred since the previous launch of the College Free Speech Rankings.
11
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Lehigh University | Greek Life at Lehigh University | Administrators suspended Greek Life social events after an allegedly racist image from a party circulated online. The image, which first appeared on Yik Yak, showed the words "Borg Floyd" drawn on the side of a BORG (or "blackout rage gallon"; a large alcohol container). Interpreting the drawing as a reference to George Floyd's murder, administrators investigated the "deeply disheartening and frustrating" incident before announcing that all Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic social events were suspended indefinitely. | -2.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | Lehigh University | Kaitlan Prioleau/Seven Unnamed Students | Administrators directed Prioleau and seven other students to “immediately remove any posts, comments, or shared content” related to a racist drawing on a “BORG” container. The controversy arose after Prioleau photographed and posted about a "BORG" container depicting blackface she found near campus, describing imagery resembling “caricature[s] from Jim Crow or a minstrel show,” which circulated widely online and prompted calls for accountability and investigation into racism on campus. In response to the viral posts, an administrator emailed Prioleau and the other students who had commented on or shared her posts, stating the university had been alerted to “posts and stories…circulating on social media regarding the individual involved” in a related incident the month prior, and instructed them to remove the content. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | Lehigh University | Turning Point USA | A student petition urged Lehigh University’s Student Senate to deny recognition to a proposed Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter. During the Senate’s club approval process, undergraduate students circulated a petition opposing the group and calling on the Senate to reject its application. At a March 3 meeting, administrators encouraged approval, citing the university’s commitment to freedom of expression under the Chicago Principles, but the Senate voted against granting recognition despite multiple motions to reconsider from the Club Committee. The committee’s student chair warned that “the precedent for sidelining the rubric for a content-based denial is — I would argue — remarkably dangerous.” | 0.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | University of Pennsylvania | Jewish Student Groups | As part of its probe into antisemitism at the university, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requested, among other things, a list of every Jewish club on campus along with a roster of their members. The university refused, and in response the EEOC sued to compel the release of this information. The ACLU of Pennsylvania and other lawyers filed a motion on behalf of five organizations affiliated with UPenn, including the Jewish Law Student Association, to block what they call a "centralized registry of UPenn's Jewish students, faculty, and staff." | +1.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | Pennsylvania State University | Unnamed Student | The campus chapter of the College Republicans called on the university to take action against an unnamed student for allegedly promoting an anti-ICE flyer that had been posted around campus. The group said it became aware of the flyer — which depicted an ICE agent hanging from a noose beneath the words “DEAD ICE AGENTS CAN’T KILL” — after the student shared an image of it on Instagram. Arguing that the image constituted a “true threat,” the College Republicans demanded that both the creators of the flyer and those who circulated it be “held responsible.” In response, a university spokesperson stated that the university “condemns this and any calls for violence or attempts to frighten or intimidate,” and confirmed that campus police were investigating the matter. The College Republicans also said they had provided campus police with “all the information that we had,” including the identity of the student who posted the image and where it was found. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | Swarthmore College | Eight Unnamed Students | An unnamed student (one of eight) was notified by administrators that they faced disciplinary charges for distributing political zines. The controversy arose in early 2026 after eight students handed out two zines criticizing the college’s Board of Managers and its alleged ties to Israel. One featured imagery including a crosshair near board members’ photos labeled “Public Enemy No. 1.” And in the other, students wrote that the college's decision to break up last year's encampment protest should bring about a “new chapter of our struggle — one that will be necessarily more escalated, necessarily more violent.” Administrators characterized these zines as “threatening and intimidating” while students and faculty supporters argued the materials constituted protected political expression and accused the college of taking phrases out of context. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | Lafayette College | Greek Life at Lafayette College | Administrators suspended all new Greek Life social events after a small number of students allegedly made antisemitic and sexist remarks during a campus wellness session. At the “Wellness 101” event, anonymous audience responses were displayed in real time — including one that blamed “Jews” for a chapter’s financial issues, and others that reportedly made inappropriate sexual comments about the presenter. Although the offending remarks were anonymous and limited to a few individuals, the university imposed a blanket suspension on all fraternities and sororities, regardless of individual involvement. The college stated that the suspension would be lifted for each chapter only after all members completed mandatory anti-bias training. Previously approved events and philanthropy activities were exempt from the ban. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | University of Pittsburgh | Students for Justice in Palestine | Students for Justice in Palestine was investigated for having allegedly "promoted and hosted an event" in a non-reservable part of the campus library. The event in question was a Dec. 9 study-in wherein students wearing keffiyehs and surrounded by Palestinian flags protested the war in Gaza by taping paper on the backs of their laptops featuring slogans including "free Palestine," "no universities left in Gaza," and "429 days of genocide." Administrators at the library allegedly told the students that their protest had "modified" the space and required them to leave and show IDs for code of conduct referrals. The Office of Student Conduct later summoned SJP to a conduct meeting, alleging it had "promoted and hosted an event" in a non-reservable area of the library. Though the group denied having organized the study-in, it did admit to having "amplif[ied]" it on social media, and suggested uneven enforcement given that a sorority had recently used (but not promoted) a non-reservable space as well without being disciplined. Ultimately, the Office recommended SJP be placed on probation for a year, attend "educational conversations," and be banned from hosting or participating in events until May. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2025 | Temple University | Mohammed Khan/Unnamed Student | Administrators placed Khan and an unnamed student on interim suspension after they had ordered bottle service at a local sports bar along with a customizable sign which read "Fuck the Jews." According to a statement from Temple's president, the unnamed student also participated in an interview with a "media personality who has a history of producing extreme antisemitic and racist content." | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | University of Pennsylvania | Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine | Penn Students Against the Occupation of Palestine allege that after a faculty member reported it for discriminatory social media content, administrators launched an investigation into the group, compelled it to change the name of its Instagram account, and suspended it from organizing events in campus spaces until the conclusion of the investigation. Ultimately, administrators revoked the group's status as a registered student group. | -1.0 | Read More |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Drexel University | David Kaganovsky | After the university's College of Computing and Informatics invited Kaganovsky, an alumnus and former member of CCI's advisory board, to deliver its commencement address, a student discovered and circulated screenshots of Kaganovsky’s prior social media posts, sparking controversy. Student objections centered on posts characterized in the article as anti-Muslim, anti-Indian, and vulgar. Students raised concerns to the administration, including to the interim dean. After those objections reached university leadership, Kaganovsky was removed as keynote and replaced by Chris Cera. The university stated that it was “mutually agreed” that Kaganovsky would step back so the ceremony would not be distracted. | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | Haverford College | Haviv Rettig Gur | Gur, an author and senior analyst for “The Times of Israel,” was invited to give a talk on campus, titled “Roots, Return & Reality: Jews, Israel and the Myth of Settler Colonialism,” by the Bi-College Chabad, Club Chai, and a group of alumni. About 20 minutes into the event, masked protesters attempted to derail the talk, including by using a bullhorn/megaphone inside the auditorium and chanting slogans over the speaker and attendees. The disruption escalated into at least one physical altercation between audience members and a protester, after which campus safety removed individuals involved; the speaker’s remarks were delayed and repeatedly interrupted but ultimately continued. In a campus-wide message the next day, President Wendy Raymond condemned the shoutdown as incompatible with the community's values and said the college had opened an investigation into violations of its expressive-freedom policy (including indoor bullhorn use and disruption of a guest speaker). The investigation concluded with campus bans for at least two people identified as unaffiliated with the college, reflecting the college’s position that protest is protected but preventing others from hearing a speaker is not. | 0.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | University of Pennsylvania | Ben Shapiro | The university's Adam Smith Society and Young America’s Foundation scheduled Shapiro, a conservative political commentator, to deliver a campus speech titled “Why Capitalism Makes America Great.” During the event planning process, administrators imposed restrictions on recording, livestreaming, public access, and potentially uncapped security fees tied to anticipated protests. To move the event forward organizers agreed to limit attendance to members of the university community. On the day of the event student protesters attempted to organize a protest to shout down Shapiro, but did not succeed. Shapiro delivered his remarks successfully. | -3.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | University of Pennsylvania | Steven Crowder/Jonathan Zimmerman | Zimmerman, a professor of the history of education at the University of Pennsylvania, was scheduled to debate Steven Crowder, a conservative political commentator and media host at the university. The event drew criticism from members of the university community due to Crowder’s past statements and political views. Prior to the event, the university prohibited livestreaming, which was a central component of the debate’s format, due to "safety" concerns. Following this restriction, the event’s producers chose not to proceed with the venue contract, citing disagreements with university policies and security requirements. Crowder thus effectively withdrew, and the debate did not take place on campus. Zimmerman questioned the university's logic regarding safety, calling its reasons for blocking the livestream “counterintuitive,” and saying "I think this is a bad decision.” | -1.0 | Read More |
| 2026 | Temple University | John Mahama | The university hosted an appearance by Mahama, the president of Ghana, which drew opposition from a coalition of Philadelphia’s LGBT and allied activists, including ACT UP Philadelphia. These groups condemned Mahama’s appearance and urged the university to cancel it because of his support for Ghana’s proposed Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which critics described as anti-LGBT and punitive toward LGBT advocacy. Despite this pressure, the university declined to revoke Mahama’s invitation, and the event proceeded as planned. | +1.0 | Read More |
| 2024 | University of Pennsylvania | West Craft Fest | After an anonymous person emailed the venue for the festival accusing it, and the university, of hosting vendors who support violence against Jewish people, and also complained about the inclusion of pro-Palestinian artists and artwork in the festival, the university asked the organizers to exclude any “items that depict, glorify, or incite violence of any kind whatsoever AND/OR are politically sensitive.” The organizers moved the event to a smaller location that could not accommodate all of the original vendors set to attend the event. | -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.
