Despite high-profile incidents suggesting otherwise, a new study finds that most college students feel their campuses provide an environment conducive to free expression, with broad agreement across political affiliations, race, and gender.
A comprehensive survey conducted by Gallup and Lumina Foundation reveals that approximately 75% of currently enrolled bachelor’s degree students believe their institutions do an “excellent” or “good” job of promoting free speech, with only 5% rating their college’s efforts as “poor.”
The report, titled “Beyond the Headlines: The Reality of Free Speech on College Campuses,” surveyed over 2,000 currently enrolled bachelor’s degree students and counters the narrative that America’s college campuses have become hostile environments for open discourse.
“While notable segments of students express some reservations about whether certain topics can be discussed openly on campus, just 5% of students rate their school poorly in promoting an environment of free expression,” the report states.
The findings come amid heightened scrutiny of campus free speech issues, particularly following the congressional testimony of college presidents regarding protests related to the Israel-Hamas war and subsequent high-profile resignations at Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Between 2021 and 2024, 34 state legislatures introduced bills aimed at limiting or banning the teaching of “divisive concepts” on college campuses, with 11 states passing such laws. The House of Representatives also passed legislation affecting colleges’ ability to restrict campus demonstrations.
The study reveals that more than two-thirds of students across demographic categories personally feel free to express their opinions on campus. This sentiment spans political affiliations, with 78% of Democratic students, 73% of independents, and 69% of Republicans agreeing they can freely express themselves.
More than 60% of students agree that their schools are places where peers can freely discuss issues related to race (66%), gender and sexual orientation (66%), and religion (62%).
However, the survey identified some topics that students perceive as more restricted in campus discussions. Students were more likely to believe liberal viewpoints (67%) could be freely shared compared to conservative ones (53%). Additionally, opinions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict were viewed as less welcome than general debates about race and religion, with students slightly more likely to believe pro-Palestinian views (57%) could be expressed compared to pro-Israeli views (50%).
“While students broadly believe their college facilitates free expression on campus, some topics and opinions evoke more hesitation than others,” the report notes.
Notably, the study identified a disconnect between students’ perceptions of how freely certain viewpoints can be expressed on campus versus their own personal experiences.
For example, while 53% of all students believe conservative views can be freely discussed, a significantly higher percentage of Republican students (69%) report personally feeling free to express their opinions. Similarly, 67% of students believe liberal views can be freely expressed, while 78% of Democratic students say they personally feel free to share their views.
“This finding may suggest that national perceptions and isolated incidents influence students’ perceptions of their own campuses’ speech environments in ways that do not reflect the actual experience of even a significant minority of students,” the report explains.
The survey also examined students’ broader experiences on campus, finding that more than 70% feel a sense of belonging at their institutions. Approximately 75% report being treated with respect by fellow students, and 82% feel respected by faculty members.
Black students reported somewhat higher rates of negative experiences, with 24% saying they have occasionally or frequently experienced discrimination on campus, compared to 12% of students overall. Similarly, 18% of Black students reported harassment experiences, versus 10% of the general student population.
The researchers note that while these findings should not diminish the negative experiences some students have endured, they suggest that “isolated incidents have had an outsized influence on national perceptions of free speech on college campuses.”
According to the report, direct feedback from students suggests that “no particular group is disproportionately likely” to feel unable to express themselves freely, contrary to narratives often presented in political discourse and media coverage.
Experts add that the full report, based on surveys conducted in October 2024, provides a more nuanced picture of campus climate than what is typically portrayed in headline-generating incidents and may help institutions better understand the actual experiences of their student bodies.
