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.
Learn more about FIRE's principled, nonpartisan record defending free speech
In Free Speech Generation, FIRE Executive Vice President Nico Perrino tells the dramatic story of the people who made the First Amendment’s promise real. At once a collective biography, constitutional history, and political drama, Free Speech Generation asks whether the civil libertarians who created America’s Free Speech Century left behind a lasting inheritance — or a fragile achievement already beginning to crack.
As America marks 250 years of independence, FIRE looks back at the moments that tested the freedoms at the heart of the American experiment.
Explore the heroes and villains of free speech in American history
The largest report of its kind, the rankings draw from nearly 63,000 student respondents from 261 colleges and universities and are designed to help parents and prospective students choose the right school.
| Rank | School | Overall | Speech Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago Private | 81.42/100 | Green |
| 2 | Claremont McKenna College Private | 80.13/100 | Green |
| 3 | Georgia Institute of Technology Public | 78.98/100 | Green |
| 4 | Michigan Technological University Public | 78.72/100 | Green |
| 5 | Vanderbilt University Private | 77.09/100 | Green |
| 6 | Dartmouth College Private | 76.96/100 | Green |
| 7 | Purdue University Public | 76.90/100 | Green |
| 8 | Appalachian State University Public | 76.40/100 | Green |
| 9 | University of Virginia Public | 75.98/100 | Green |
| 10 | George Mason University Public | 75.97/100 | Green |
WATCH VIDEO: In the final installment of a two-part episode of 1AX, FIRE follows Trump's escalating use of government power against protected speech since January 2025.
President Trump came back to office in 2025 promising to stop government censorship. But the first 18 months of the second Trump administration have resulted in more high-profile government censorship, not less. What started as a dramatic clash over press freedom has expanded into a nationwide censorship campaign, from college campuses to the streets of Minneapolis.
They may not agree on much, but Americans who identify as “very liberal” or “very conservative” have strikingly similar attitudes toward free speech, according to a new survey by FIRE.
FIRE defends and promotes the individual rights of all Americans in our courtrooms, on our campuses, and in our culture.
Freedom of speech is a human right and a fundamental American freedom.
College faculty must be free to ask tough questions and facilitate learning without the threat of institutional censorship.
Due process demands that authorities provide fair, unbiased, and equitable procedures when determining a person’s guilt or innocence.
Freedom of the press protects the ability of journalists and news media to publish information free from official censorship.
Freedom of assembly is the right of individuals to come together to express shared ideas, and is guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Religious liberty is the right to follow the faith of your choice — or to follow no faith at all.
If you face retaliation over protected speech, or if you are a college student or faculty member whose First Amendment rights may have been violated on campus, reach out to FIRE to learn more about how we can protect 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.
FIRE’s signature, core defense program provides free, non-legal assistance to individuals whose fundamental civil liberties are violated.
FIRE strategically litigates in courts nationwide to vindicate the First Amendment and due process rights of everyday Americans.
FIRE’s College Policy Reform team works to proactively and systematically challenge campus policies that violate the free speech rights of students and faculty.
FIRE defends your individual rights at the state and federal level by advocating for rights-protective legislation and against bills that would abridge those rights.
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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