Free Speech Makes Free People

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's mission is to defend and sustain 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.

Watch FIRE President & CEO Greg Lukianoff's 2025 TED Talk "Let's get real about free speech"
Fire with FIRE series logo

WATCH VIDEO: For the first episode of “Fire with FIRE,” host Ryan J. Downey sits down with horror aficionado Spencer Charnas, the lead singer of Ice Nine Kills.

Why Disney Censored Ice Nine Kills (with Spencer Charnas)

FIRE Videos

Every other week this summer, FIRE will sit down with some of the biggest and up-and-coming artists in heavy metal and punk rock to discuss free expression, artistic freedom, and much much more.

Censoring lawmakers, T-shirts, and seashells

We discuss the Supreme Court backing Maine lawmaker Laurel Libby, NPR filing suit against Trump, a years-long dispute over a student wearing a "there are only two genders" shirt, the Secret Service investigation into James Comey, the latest on...

Our Issues

FIRE defends and promotes the individual rights of all Americans in our courtrooms, on our campuses, and in our culture.

WHAT WE DEFEND

Defending Your Rights

FIRE defends and sustains the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the essential qualities of liberty — and carries out this mission through several core services.

2025 College Free Speech Rankings

The largest report of its kind, the rankings draw from more than 58,000 student responses representing more than 250 colleges and universities nationwide and are designed to help parents and prospective students choose the right school.

Find a School

Rank School Overall Speech Code
1 University of Virginia Public 73.41/100 Green
2 Michigan Technological University Public 73.15/100 Green
3 Florida State University Public 72.46/100 Green
4 Eastern Kentucky University Public 69.60/100 Green
5 Georgia Institute of Technology Public 69.39/100 Green
6 Claremont McKenna College Private 69.15/100 Green
7 North Carolina State University - Raleigh Public 68.44/100 Green
8 Oregon State University Public 67.26/100 Green
9 University of North Carolina - Charlotte Public 66.51/100 Green
10 Mississippi State University Public 66.14/100 Green
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Support the Fight for Free Speech

Get Involved

Help us build a new free speech movement and promote a strong culture of free speech by supporting FIRE with a donation today. Please join us in this important work!

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