Harvard Ranked Lowest Among US Universities in Free Speech Survey
Harvard University has been ranked the lowest among 251 colleges across the country in a free speech ranking conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). This marks the second consecutive year that Harvard has received the lowest rating in FIRE’s survey, which evaluates the free speech climate at US colleges and universities.
FIRE, a nonprofit organization that advocates for free speech rights, surveyed over 58,000 undergraduate students across four-year degree programs for its annual report. Alongside Harvard, Columbia University and New York University were also rated “abysmal” for their free speech climates.
Sean Stevens, FIRE’s chief research adviser, explained to Fox News that the rankings aim to “provide an indication of where students can get the best experience in college in terms of being exposed to a diverse set of views.
Stevens criticized the bottom-ranked schools as “consistently bad performers” that “rarely stand up for speech.” He pointed out that these institutions often punish speech when controversies arise, with speakers getting disinvited or faculty and students being sanctioned.
“When a controversy arises, the speech typically gets punished. A speaker gets disinvited. A faculty member gets sanctioned in some way, or a student or student organization does,” he explained.
Recent events, particularly protests regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have significantly influenced the survey results. According to the report, 55 percent of students said the conflict has made it challenging to have open and honest discussions on campus. Additionally, the percentage of students who believe actions like shouting down speakers, blocking entry to events, or using violence to stop speech are at least “rarely” acceptable has increased since last year.
Furthermore, 17 percent of students reported that they feel unable to express their opinions on certain topics at least a couple of times a week due to potential negative responses from university members, including professors and administrators.
The University of Virginia was ranked the top school for free speech, followed by Michigan Technological University, Florida State University, Eastern Kentucky University, and Georgia Tech in the top five.
