Michigan Tech fourth; U-M plunges in free speech report

There was one winner and many losers among Michigan colleges and universities in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's "2027 College Free Speech Rankings" report. Topping the list of 261 colleges across the country was Michigan Technological University, which ranked fourth overall. That is unchanged from its 2026 ranking, though it marks a drop from its second-place ranking in the 2025 report. MTU received a "green light" rating in FIRE's Spotlight database, which means its written policies do not seriously threaten student expression. According to the report, it also has adopted the "pro-free speech" Chicago Statement. "As usual, Michigan Tech does well – it has always been ranked in the top five since its initial inclusion in 2023," FIRE Chief Researcher Sean Stevens told The Center Square. FIRE is a nonprofit organization that advocates for free speech and freedom of expression on college campuses and beyond. In total, the report looked at seven of Michigan's 93 colleges and universities. Behind MTU, Michigan State University ranked 70, Western Michigan University ranked 110, and Wayne State University ranked 130. Additionally, Eastern Michigan University ranked 142, Central Michigan University ranked 165, and the University of Michigan ranked 166. That was a drop in 10 spots for MSU from the previous report, while U-M fell from 105 to 166. All of those colleges received a "yellow light" rating, which means they have at least one written policy that could be used to restrict speech. No Michigan institution received a "red light" rating, which would have meant it has at least one policy which FIRE considers "unconstitutional" that "clearly and substantially" restricts freedom of speech. "The rest of the schools in the state can be described mostly as 'middling' for their campus climate—the average ranking (excluding Michigan Tech) is 130.5," said Stevens. "UMich in Ann Arbor dropped this year, while Western Michigan and Central Michigan improved their rankings." Western Michigan University and Central Michigan University were the only two Michigan institutions to improve their rankings from last year, though FIRE said much more work remains to be done. Across the nation, 121 of the 261 schools surveyed got an F for their speech climate. In Michigan, three of the seven universities surveyed did. Even MTU, which was ranked fourth nationally, only received a C+ grade. That grade is made up of 12 parts, including how students feel about free speech on campus, school speech policies, and speech controversies on campus. MTU was one of just 24 schools that received a speech climate grade of C or higher. According to FIRE, MTU could "demonstrate the university's commitment to free speech" by affirming an official commitment to institutional neutrality and clearly and forcefully defend free speech. Even so, its first nationally for "political tolerance," and in the top 25 for "disruptive conduct," "self-censorship." In 2026, Michigan's average speech-climate grade is D, compared to a national average of D- and up from D- last year. The national average improved from an F in last year's report, but Stevens said more improvements are needed, especially in the wake of the Charlie Kirk murder a year ago which FIRE said "generated a wave of censorship at America's colleges." "The majority of campuses in the country still have a lot to do to create a truly open and dynamic intellectual environment," Stevens said. "Almost half of the schools ranked receive what would be the equivalent of a failing grade on a traditional grading scale—less than 60. A perfect score may be difficult to obtain, but the floor needs to increase." The survey ranked the 261 schools based on nearly 63,000 student responses to a wide array of free speech-related questions. This is the seventh annual release of the report.