Students Under Fire Database

Research & Learn

This research documents efforts since 2020 to get students or student groups at U.S. colleges and universities investigated, censored, or otherwise punished by administrators, student government, or government officials for expressive activity that is, or at a public institution would be, protected by the First Amendment.

FIRE’s methodology provides additional details. This database is updated every few weeks.

Graphic with a college student in the foreground with bar graphs in the background

Shifting Winds: Students Under Fire, 2020-2024

This report examines the efforts to investigate, censor, or otherwise discipline students at U.S. colleges and universities for expressive activity that is, or at a public institution would be, protected by the First Amendment.

2025 sets new record for attempts to silence student speech, FIRE research finds

FIRE has documented 273 efforts this year in which students and student groups were targeted for their constitutionally protected expression.

REPORT: More than 600 college students and groups punished or investigated for speech in 5 years

Speech about race and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict led to most attempts.

A thermometer in snow, reading zero celsius.

Deep freeze hits campus:2025 marks the coldest year yet for student speech

As the holidays approach, we at FIRE have been compiling the latest figures from our Students Under Fire database, and what we found isn’t very merry.

News & Analysis

“Open minds and free debate, not self-censorship and punishment, must be the standard across our nation’s campuses.” — FIRE Senior Researcher Logan Dougherty.

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