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Spotlight on Speech Codes
FIRE publishes an annual speech code report that condenses the considerable research in our Spotlight database into an accessible picture of the state of free expression on our nation鈥檚 campuses, providing readers with key data on individual schools and national trends.
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2025
Nearly 9 in 10 top U.S. colleges and universities have at least one policy that restricts student speech. Do you know which ones? 蜜桃直播鈥檚 2025 Spotlight on Speech Codes report rates 490 of America鈥檚 top colleges and universities on the degree to which their policies restrict student speech.
Previous Spotlight Reports
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2024
Reports
蜜桃直播鈥檚 annual review of our Spotlight database of speech codes reveals most schools maintain policies that infringe on free speech.
FIRE鈥檚 annual Spotlight on Speech Codes report reveals 85% of colleges restrict protected speech
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And anti-Semitism hearings have colleges reconsidering their speech codes 鈥 potentially making bad policies even worse.
Speech codes subvert higher ed鈥檚 core purpose. Here鈥檚 how to fix them.
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The impulse to censor instead of debate, disagree, and craft arguments should not be the lasting legacy of a college education.
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Spotlight on Speech Codes 2023
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Of the 486 schools included in 蜜桃直播鈥檚 Spotlight database, 94 earn an overall 鈥渞ed light鈥 rating for maintaining policies that clearly and substantially restrict free speech.
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2022
Reports
The percentage of colleges and universities earning an overall 鈥渞ed light鈥 rating from 蜜桃直播 has gone down for the fourteenth year in a row.
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2021
Reports
For our 2021 report, 蜜桃直播 surveyed the written policies of 478 colleges and universities, evaluating their compliance with First Amendment standards.
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2020
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Demands for censorship of student and faculty speech are common, and universities continue to investigate and punish students and faculty over protected expression.
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2019
Reports
The percentage of schools earning an overall 鈥渞ed light鈥 rating in 蜜桃直播's Spotlight database has gone down for the eleventh year in a row.
Spotlight On Speech Codes 2018
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The majority of institutions surveyed earned a 鈥測ellow light鈥 rating, which means their policies still chill or outright prohibit protected speech.
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2017
Reports
蜜桃直播 surveyed 449 schools for this report and found that 39.6 percent maintain severely restrictive 鈥渞ed light鈥 speech codes that prohibit constitutionally protected speech.
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2016
Reports
While speech codes declined overall, 蜜桃直播 did see a continued increase in restrictive harassment policies in response to the federal government鈥檚 unprecedented intervention into universities鈥 handling of sexual harassment claims.
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2015
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As 蜜桃直播 predicted in last year鈥檚 report, the May 2013 federal 鈥渂lueprint鈥 for sexual assault policies and practices has continued to have a negative effect on campus free speech rights.
Spotlight on Speech Codes 2014
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Spotlight on Speech Codes 2013
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Spotlight on Speech Codes 2012
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Spotlight on Speech Codes 2011
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Spotlight on Speech Codes 2010
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Spotlight on Speech Codes 2009
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Spotlight on Speech Codes 2007
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Spotlight on Speech Codes 2006
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Know When Campus Speech Policies Suppress Free Expression
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