The University of Florida received a grade of D for free speech from the watchdog organization Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, known as FIRE, in the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings, raising questions about how comfortable students and faculty feel expressing their views on campus.
Out of 257 schools assessed, UF ranked No. 45 and received an overall score of 64.1 out of 100. UF did, however, receive a green light rating in FIRE’s Spotlight database, indicating its written policies do not seriously restrict student expression.
FIRE’s annual rankings combine a few factors: student surveys and opinions, reviews of university policies regulating student expression and analysis of how schools handle free speech cases and controversies…