New FIRE study finds record low number of restrictive campus speech codes

PHILADELPHIA, July 30, 2026 — U.S. colleges are increasingly eliminating or narrowing restrictive speech codes, continuing an encouraging trend that reflects a greater commitment to free expression on American campuses, a new study finds.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s 20th Spotlight on Speech Codes report found a record number of schools earning FIRE’s highest rating, alongside a continued decline in policies that clearly and substantially restrict student expression. FIRE also observed colleges increasingly removing “bias reporting” policies that solicit anonymous reports about speech protected by the First Amendment.

This year also saw a record low of “red light” schools whose policies restrict free expression, indicating that mounting scrutiny from state and federal governments, alumni groups, organizations like FIRE, and collapsing public faith in higher education has prompted internal review at institutions that had long resisted policy reform. Several of the schools whose policies improved this year worked closely with FIRE to make changes.

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“Even one restrictive policy is one too many, but there’s reason to be hopeful,” said FIRE Senior Program Counsel Ryan Ansloan, who authored the report. “We’re seeing major improvements in campus policymaking, and campuses that were once hotbeds of censorship are overhauling problematic policies. Pressure from many state legislatures, as well as the reelection of Donald Trump and subsequent federal investigations, lawsuits, and shifts in research funding, have prompted internal review at many schools. We hope this will translate to taking the side of free speech when controversies arise.” 

FIRE rates schools as “green light,” “yellow light,” or “red light” institutions based on how much First Amendment-protected speech is restricted. Categories include protest, online speech, harassment, and civility. 

This year, 76 schools received a green light rating, 342 received a yellow light, and 65 received a red light. This marks a historic drop in red light schools, which have policies that both clearly and substantially restrict freedom of speech. For the second year in a row, the number of green light schools, which have no policies that seriously imperil free expression, outnumbers the number of red light schools, which fell by seven.

For the first time, the number of restrictive “red light” policies at public schools dropped below 10%. This is a welcome change from earlier iterations of the Spotlight survey, when nearly 4 out of 5 public schools had such policies on the books. 

The drop in red light schools isn’t the only encouraging development this year. Over the past several years, colleges grappled with hot-button issues like the #MeToo movement, the Black Lives Matter protests, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and subsequent campus encampment protests. As these movements unfolded, there was a subsequent proliferation of DEI office expansions and campus bias response teams, which investigated incidents of discrimination and allegedly offensive speech. FIRE has criticized the formation of bias response teams, as university admins can too easily weaponize them to censor protected speech. The very existence of these teams can create a “chilling effect” where students are afraid to speak freely for fear of recrimination. Schools are now increasingly ditching these systems alongside reforming policy.

“This year’s findings are exciting, because they suggest that colleges are taking their responsibilities seriously,” Ansloan said. “University admins have a responsibility to protect the rights of their students, and the latest policy revisions should improve campus culture for years to come.”

FIRE stands ready to defend students and faculty members whose rights are threatened on campus. We also regularly work with college administrators to reform their policies. 

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The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE recognizes that colleges and universities play a vital role in preserving free thought within a free society. To this end, we place a special emphasis on defending the individual rights of students and faculty members on our nation’s campuses, including freedom of speech, freedom of association, due process, legal equality, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience.

CONTACT:

Katie Stalcup, Communications Campaign Manager, FIRE: 215-717-3473; media@thefire.org