FIRE — the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression — is out with its 2026 list of college free speech rankings. FIRE has surveyed more than 68,000 students and ranked more than 250 colleges to compile the most comprehensive guide to free speech on campus anywhere — “because a true university education requires freedom of expression.” Right on!
Let me note at the outset that FIRE does not grade on a curve. It is a tough grader. The majority of colleges surveyed receive a failing grade. You can access a particular school’s or state’s ranking here. Gradations exist among the schools graded F, but the rankings paint a dismal picture. The report that accompanies the rankings explains:
The 2026 rankings reveal a bleak picture: 166 of the 257 schools evaluated received an overall score below 60 — earning a failing grade for their campus speech climate. This group includes some of the nation’s most prestigious institutions: Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan, and both the University of California at Berkeley and in Los Angeles. Notably, UCLA also holds the distinction of being the lowest-ranked “green light” school this year.
And the winner is — Claremont McKenna College, with the highest grade awarded: B-. That B- gives CMC its (repeat) first-place finish. Coming in at number 3, the University of Chicago gets a C. Purdue, Michigan Technological University, and the University of Colorado-Boulder round out the top 5.
Dartmouth College is recognized for the biggest positive change. It comes in at number 35 with a D-. As we used to say — as we were proud and allowed to say — when I was a Dartmouth student: Wah Hoo Wah! Congratulations are in order to Dartmouth President Sian Beilock. Positive change is better than no change at all. We’re number 35 with a bullet.
Not only that, President Beilock has been good for Dartmouth in other (related) respects. Unlike its Ivy League counterparts, Dartmouth has not embarrassed itself by tormenting Jewish students or suppressing support for Israel.
John recognized President Beilock’s related contributions earlier this year in “The only Ivy that doesn’t suck” and in “Hamas at Dartmouth.” All things considered, and grading on a curve, I would give Dartmouth and President Beilock an A.
The bottom 5 schools also deserve recognition: Northeastern University, the University of Washington, Indiana University, Columbia University and, coming in dead last, Barnard College. Despite the abysmal ratings and failing grades each was awarded, they worked hard for those grades.
On a local note, three Minnesota schools are ranked. Carleton College (number 116) gets an F, as do the University of Minnesota (number 146) and Macalester College (number 228). Overall, as even I was able to figure out, Minnesota gets an F:
Carleton College ranks 116 overall and is the top-ranked school in the state. It performs best in the country on the “Self-Censorship” component, suggesting that Carleton students are the least likely to hold back their views. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ranks 146 and has adopted the pro-free speech Chicago Statement. Macalester College ranks 228 and holds a “red light” rating in FIRE’s Spotlight database, meaning its written policies clearly and substantially restrict protected expression. None of the three schools have adopted a statement on institutional neutrality.
All three campuses should remove restrictive speech codes and expand institutional commitments to free expression to improve their free-speech climates.
FIRE’s 2026 free speech rankings are posted here. Visitors can download FIRE’s 40-page report in PDF at that page. Separate pages allow readers to explore the survey results and review the survey methodology.
