University of Chicago

A new national free speech ranking from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found the average campus climate score is 61.36 out of 100 — a seven-year high, but still a D-. Of 261 schools ranked, 121 received an F and only 24 earned a C or better. The University of Chicago topped the list for the third time in seven years, followed by Claremont McKenna, Georgia Tech, Michigan Tech and Vanderbilt; New York University ranked last. In Minnesota, the University of Minnesota and Macalester College both flunked, with Macalester criticized for restrictive speech policies and intolerance of opposing views, while Carleton College earned a D- but was praised for improved political tolerance.

The University of Arkansas scored 56.6 amid controversies including the rescinded hiring of a law school dean over her support for transgender athletes and discipline against a professor over pro-Palestinian posters. Nationally, students report high self-censorship, most often on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, followed by Trump, Charlie Kirk's assassination, abortion, immigration and transgender rights. Some schools lost points for firing professors over posts about Kirk's death; Utah Valley University fell sharply after dropping a commencement speaker. The findings arrive as the Trump administration pressures universities over protests, funding and diversity programs.

Arizona's three public universities scored relatively well in the latest campus free speech rankings from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), each earning a C- and helping push the state's average to second-best nationally, behind New Hampshire. The University of Arizona led the trio, followed by Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University. FIRE recorded no free speech controversies at any of the three schools last year, and Arizona students gave relatively high marks on tolerance for disruptive conduct.

Still, the schools received F grades for administrative support and tolerance of controversial speakers, with a majority of students saying it's sometimes acceptable to shout down a speaker and nearly a third condoning violence in rare cases to stop one. Nationally, the survey of nearly 63,000 students found an average score of 61.36 — a seven-year high but still a D- — with the University of Chicago ranking first and New York University last. FIRE also flagged universities that penalized faculty over posts about Charlie Kirk's assassination.