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.
Here’s how the UF community responded to the grade and ranking:
Some students say they hold back their true opinions.
Some students said they fear sharing political opinions openly, and others declined to comment entirely.
On a scale of one to 10, third-year UF student Noah Rodriguez said he rates his comfort expressing political opinions as a two and avoids sharing them to prevent conflict or judgment.
“In my experience, debates can change how people view each other, and that’s not something I want to happen with my friends or people I care about,” he said.
According to FIRE, 44% of students at UF say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month. One category of the report, “comfort expressing ideas,” received a D, while self-censorship received a D-minus.
Other students are comfortable expressing their opinions.
Second-year student Selma Tiab-Cabana said she always felt comfortable expressing her political beliefs on campus and in the classroom. For an ethics class, she wrote an essay in support of students who protested for Palestine.
“I think UF is biased in who they give priority when it comes to political views,” she said. “Like allowing Charlie Kirk on campus and hundreds of people gathering in the plaza, however, they prohibit other student protests in the plaza. They’re both political, so why is one allowed and not the other?”
FIRE gave UF an F in “administrative support,” a category that measures how clearly students believe their school backs free speech and how likely administrators are to defend a speaker’s rights during controversy.
Respectful political discourse is key to free speech.
Olivia Belinc, public relations director of UF College Democrats, said regardless of political affiliation, she feels comfortable sharing her views with other students. Political conversations have helped her gain insight and understanding into different perspectives and values. To her, this is the first step toward reducing division.
“We will never be able to work together as a country if we refuse to even talk to one another about our political perspectives, and I think students would actually want to participate in these exchanges as long as they happened respectfully and in good faith,” Belinc said.
She believes the grade reflects how students fear feeling judged in social, academic and professional circles for their political opinions. So, they choose silence over voicing their disagreement, she said.
“That sums up UF’s political climate: students aren’t censored outright; they self-censor because the atmosphere makes them wary,” she said. “This cycle of silence makes UF feel less open than it could be, and that’s what the grade captures. “
Considering recent controversies surrounding comments about Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA who was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University, Belinc said it would be hypocritical to deny speakers the opportunity to speak on UF’s campus, even if she disagrees with them. She said what concerned her more was the aftermath.
“Professors, journalists and media figures have faced punishment for highlighting the dangers of Kirk’s rhetoric, which includes posts that simply quoted him directly,” she said. “That isn’t free speech, it’s policing it, and our own political leadership fostering a toxic culture of surveillance and fear is deeply troubling.”
Some students are motivated to be open now more than ever.
Marc Orta Bosch of UF College Republicans said the club is taking the initiative to present itself more openly in the spirit of Kirk’s death.
“We’ve decided to now be more organized and more in cooperation with other conservative platforms and other conservative clubs within UF, such as Turning Point USA,” he said. “We’re not really taking a step back.”
However, he does recognize that some members are more concerned about their safety, wondering if they’re safe to speak their opinions. It’s not the UF administration causing worries, he said, but rather the broader political climate.
While safety concerns remain for some, many students view the current environment as a call to action, motivating them to engage in public discourse.
“Despite some people feeling a little bit nervous in wake of what happened, I think people are significantly more motivated,” Evan Weinzimer of UF College Republicans said. “I think people recognize the importance of speaking out and being public with their views.”
Weinzimer added that communication on “both sides of the aisle,” between College Democrats and College Republicans, fosters a healthier relationship between the two organizations.
“When we communicate, we are stronger together,” he said.
Faculty try to create open environments in the classroom.
Hannah Alarian, assistant professor of political science, said she works to foster an inclusive classroom and believes students are the best judges of UF’s free speech climate.
“I do work hard to create an environment where students feel comfortable drawing on their lived experiences to help them understand and critique theories and scientific findings in political science,” she said. “I believe this approach is successful in making students feel comfortable expressing themselves in the classroom.”
The grade reflects state politics.
UF Student Government Senator Lucas Nadeau said the D grade accurately reflects how many students feel about the political climate at both the state and national levels. He emphasized, though, that he believes issues behind the ranking stem more from Tallahassee than from university administrators.
Nadeau pointed to closures such as the Chief Diversity Officer’s office, the Center for Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement and the Office of Sustainability. While he believes students recognize that these closings were prompted by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state legislature, in his view, the UF administration was “completely complicit” in the closures.
“I believe the ranking reflects more so on students’ disappointment and fear with UF administration’s repeated capitulation to state directives that have hurt minority and foreign exchange students on campus,” he said.
Administration insists UF supports free speech.
Cynthia Roldan, director of public affairs for UF, said the university remains committed to protecting free speech for all students and faculty.
“As a world-class research institution, the University of Florida has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to free speech and civil discourse,” she said. “UF will continue to ensure that individuals are able to express their ideas, free from bullying, violence, or any other type of disruptive behavior.”