Speech Code Reports

FIRE publishes an annual report that condenses the considerable research in our Spotlight database into an accessible picture of the state of free expression on our nation’s campuses. The report surveys speech codes at America’s largest and most prestigious colleges and universities, providing readers with key data on individual schools and national trends.

FIRE’s newest speech code report, Spotlight on Speech Codes 2021: The State of Free Speech on Our Nation’s Campuses, reveals that 21.3% of the 478 colleges and universities analyzed maintain “red light” policies that seriously infringe upon the free speech rights of students. This is a drop of over three percentage points from last year’s figure. In an encouraging development, six schools eliminated all of their restrictive speech codes over the past year, earning FIRE’s highest, “green light” rating, bringing the total number of green light institutions to 56 for the first time.

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Previous Speech Code Reports