New FIRE study finds record low number of restrictive campus speech codes

FIRE

PHILADELPHIA, July 30, 2026 — U.S. colleges are increasingly eliminating or narrowing restrictive speech codes, continuing an encouraging trend that reflects a greater commitment to free expression on American campuses, a new study finds.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s 20th Spotlight on Speech Codes report found a record number of schools earning FIRE’s highest rating, alongside a continued decline in policies that clearly and substantially restrict student expression. FIRE also observed colleges increasingly removing “bias reporting” policies that solicit anonymous reports about speech protected by the First Amendment.

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