Harvard University has officially been declared the nation’s worst school for free speech, according to an annual survey released on Wednesday. The study conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) ranked hundreds of schools on their tolerance for speech—and Harvard scored an unprecedented zero points.
The yearly study conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression assessed nearly 250 universities nationwide, recording data from 55,000 students. FIRE analyzed factors ranging from campus speech policies to responses to guest speakers, as well as administrative actions taken to either regulate or defend free speech. Results were then compiled into an annual report intended to help students better defend their constitutional rights on campus.
“Each year, the climate on college campuses grows more inhospitable to free speech,” said Sean Stevens, FIRE’s Director of Polling and Analytics. “Some of the most prestigious universities in our country have the most repressive administrations. Students should know that a college degree at certain schools may come at the expense of their free speech rights.”
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Harvard University, one of the nation’s most highly-regarded schools, has consistently scored at the low end of the FIRE survey. According to FIRE’s website, Harvard ranked 46th out of 55 schools in 2020, 130th out of 154 in 2021, and 170th out of 203 in 2022.
All this from a school that displays Veritas, Latin for “truth,” as its motto.
However, on the 2023 survey, Harvard scored 0.00 out of 100.00 points—the lowest score ever recorded. But even then, FIRE says that score is “generous.” The real score is actually -10.69, six standard deviations below the average and more than two standard deviations below the next-lowest scorer, the University of Pennsylvania.
Harvard’s “abysmal” rating came after more than 200 students were surveyed about their experiences at the Ivy League school. Many reported being required to declare their pronouns before class, and others expressed fear of real-life consequences for opinions posted on social media. However, the biggest drag on the score was the school’s dismal record of deplatforming students and faculty for speech that would otherwise have been protected under the First Amendment. In the last year, nine professors and researchers were threatened with punishment for what they said or posted online, and seven of them were professionally disciplined.
The survey further highlighted incidents in which scholars were sanctioned or terminated and controversial guest speakers were canceled. Most concerningly, 72% of students surveyed said conservative speakers should not be allowed on campus, while 30% said that violence is an acceptable response to disagreeable speech.
The other lowest-ranked schools included the University of Texas (Austin), Dartmouth College, Duquesne University, Northwestern University, Skidmore College, Fordham University, Georgetown University, the University of South Carolina, and the University of Pennsylvania.
The most speech-friendly schools were Michigan Technological University, Auburn University, the University of New Hampshire, Oregon State University, Florida State University, the University of Virginia, Texas A&M University, George Mason University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and the University of Colorado Boulder.
However, Michigan Technological University only scored 78.01 out of 100, indicating that even the most speech-friendly schools still have work to do.
“I’d say the state of free speech on campus is stagnant at best, and possibly a little worse than last year,” Stevens said.
Given the abysmal quality of the nation’s most prestigious universities, it’s no wonder why Americans are beginning to lose faith in the entire college system. In the latest episode of the PBD Podcast, Patrick Bet-David and the rest of the Home Team discussed whether higher education is even worth the cost anymore.
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