On Sept. 9, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) released its 2027 college free speech rankings, awarding the University a D- overall speech climate grade. Brandeis ranked 123 out of 261 surveyed colleges and universities, and saw an increase of 26 spots from the 2026 rankings, as well as an improvement from an F as per the last published report. Brandeis received a score of 60.4%, its highest since 2021, when FIRE began including the school in its report. 

FIRE is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization “dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought,” according to its website. The University has also been designated with a “yellow light” rating. According to FIRE’s website, yellow light schools are those “with at least one ambiguous policy that too easily encourages administrative abuse and arbitrary application.”

FIRE has reported zero speech controversies in the past year, though the most recent reported cases highlight the University’s 2023 decision to derecognize its chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and the subsequent arrests of several Brandeis students protesting this decision. 

To improve its score, FIRE notes that the University can choose to adopt a policy of institutional neutrality, or “a commitment to protect the rights of students and faculty to express their views and to engage in academic discourse.” The adoption of institutional neutrality would move the University an additional 44 spots, to 79 out of 261 colleges and universities. However, Brandeis has already adopted the Chicago Statement, a standard document which outlines principles of academic freedom and free speech. The Chicago Statement has been adopted by over 100 schools in the United States and reads that “[it] guarantees all members of the University community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge, and learn.” 

The report assessed a total of six factors, including openness, comfort expressing ideas, disruptive conduct, administrative support, political tolerance and self-censorship. While scores in openness, self-censorship and administrative support increased from the last report, scores in disruptive conduct, comfort expressing ideas and political tolerance all decreased. 

Overall, FIRE reported that issues such as the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, President Donald Trump and abortion rights have been some of the most prominent in the recent year. As the Trump administration has continued to clash with several colleges and universities across the country, nationwide tensions around free speech and civic dialogues have remained high. Additionally, 121 colleges and universities were awarded an F for free speech climate, while only 24 received at least a C grade. Among the highest-ranked schools are the University of Chicago, Claremont McKenna College and the Georgia Institute of Technology, while the University of Washington and New York University sit at the bottom of the ranking. 

The report also provided insight into how current Brandeis students feel about the school’s approach to issues of free speech and featured responses from 271 surveyed students. Of the respondents, 68% identified as liberal in some capacity, while only 7% identified as conservatives. The survey included a litany of specific questions about stances on specific political issues, student comfort levels with expressing oneself on campus, feelings of support from the University administration and openness to political tolerance were all measured.