Overall Score The Overall Score is made up of 12 parts. Six measure how students feel about free speech on campus. Three look at school speech policies. The last three look at how people on campus respond during speech controversies. A higher score reflects a better free speech climate.
72.6 Treanding Up
/ 100
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
24 Treanding Up
/ 261
Overall grade The Grade is a letter based on the college's rounded Overall Score. Scores fall into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
C
Speech Controversies Controversies are campus incidents where a student, professor, or speaker faces backlash or pressure for speech that's protected by the First Amendment or academic freedom.
2
Overview
University of California, Davis ranks 24 out of 261 schools in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings with a score of 73 and a C speech climate grade, climbing 228 places and 18 points from last year. UC Davis earns a “green light” Spotlight rating and has adopted the pro-free speech Chicago Statement and institutional neutrality.UC Davis ranks in the top 50 on “Administrative Support,” showing students trust officials to defend speech. Its “Self-Censorship” rank jumped 144 places from last year, indicating less hesitation to speak. However, it lands in the bottom 25 on “Disruptive Conduct,” showing student acceptance of non-peaceful forms of protest.
It should clearly and forcefully defend free speech whenever censorship occurs or is demanded. Doing so will demonstrate the university’s commitment to free speech and build community trust that the administration will defend expressive rights.
Highlights
36% of students say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month.
74% of students say shouting down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
39% of students say using violence to stop someone from speaking on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
4.90:1
There are roughly 4.90 liberal students for every one conservative student.
Spotlight Rating
Green
Score over time
Student Voices
The Israeli and Palestine conflict because some students who are international had spoken up about it or protested and had their visas revoked.
i felt uncomfortable talking about black lives matter because of how passionate other people are.
Make Your Voice Heard: share this report with your school administrators
Take the next step — send this report to your school and show them that real improvement is possible.
Score Calculator
'How to Improve Your School' Score Calculator
Every school's score is shaped by campus policies. Adjust the factors below to see how different policies affect the ranking for the University of California, Davis.
Score Deep Dive
Inside the Score
Explore the key factors shaping this score. This section provides a detailed look at the data, policies, and student experiences that influence free speech on campus.
Overall Score The Overall Score is made up of 12 parts. Six measure how students feel about free speech on campus. Three look at school speech policies. The last three look at how people on campus respond during speech controversies. A higher score reflects a better free speech climate.
72.6 Treanding Up
/ 100
This score out of 100 reflects how open and supportive a campus is for free speech, based on student surveys, campus policies, and recent speech-related controversies.
Overall Rank The Overall Rank shows where a school stands among the 257 institutions evaluated, based on its Overall Score.
24 Treanding Up
/ 261
A comparison of 257 U.S. colleges and universities on free speech, based on overall scores from student surveys, campus policies, and speech-related controversies.
Overall grade The Grade is a letter based on the college's rounded Overall Score. Scores fall into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
C
A school’s speech climate, shown as a letter grade (A–F), based on its overall score from student surveys, campus policies, and speech-related controversies.
Speech Controversies Controversies are campus incidents where a student, professor, or speaker faces backlash or pressure for speech that's protected by the First Amendment or academic freedom.
2
Reflect recent incidents where a speaker, professor, student, or student group faced efforts to punish, disinvite, or silence them for expressing a controversial view.
Chicago Statement for Free Speech
Adopted
Institutional Neutrality
Adopted
Spotlight Rating
Green
Comfort Expressing Ideas Comfort Expressing Ideas measures how comfortable students feel sharing their views on controversial topics in different campus settings. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
D
Disruptive Conduct Disruptive Conduct measures how acceptable students think it is to disrupt a campus speaker. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
C
Openness Openness measures how many controversial topics students feel they can openly discuss on campus. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
C
Self-Censorship Self-Censorship measures how often students hold back their views on campus. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93–100) to F (below 60).
D
Administrative Support Administrative Support measures how clearly students think their school supports free speech and how likely the administration is to defend a speaker's rights during a controversy. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
D
Political Tolerance Political Tolerance measures how willing students are to allow controversial speakers — on both the left and right — to speak on campus, even if they disagree with their views. The grade falls into standard grade ranges from A (93-100) to F (below 60).
F
Speech Controversies
Speech Controversies: When Free Expression Is Challenged
Explore notable incidents where free speech was tested on campus. From speaker deplatformings to administrative actions, these events highlight the challenges — and consequences — of restricting expression.
Total Controversies Controversies are campus incidents where a student, professor, or speaker faces backlash or pressure for speech that's protected by the First Amendment or academic freedom.
2
Scholars Under Fire Scholar Controversies are campus incidents where a professor or academic staff member faces backlash or punishment for speech protected by academic freedom or the First Amendment.
0
Students Under Fire Student Controversies are campus incidents where a student or student group faces punishment or pressure from the school for speech that's protected by the First Amendment.
1
Deplatformings Deplatformings are the number of incidents where a scheduled event or speaker is canceled or prevented from taking place.
1
Honor Roll Statements Honor Roll Statements are the number of public messages from a college or university defending free speech during a campus controversy. Schools that make these statements can earn bonus points on their Overall Score for standing up for free expression when it counts.
0
Attempted Disruptions Attempted Disruptions are the number of incidents where people on campus try to stop a scheduled event or speaker.
0
New in 2026 The number of controversies that have occurred since the previous launch of the College Free Speech Rankings.
0
Students Under Fire
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | University of California, Davis | Law Students Association | The administration took disproportionate action against the Law Student Association (LSA) in response to a censorious resolution. In spring 2025, the LSA imposed prior restraint on pro-Israeli law student groups when it passed a resolution resolving that it "will not approve funding requests for events with speakers who represent the Israeli government... or voluntarily represent Israeli academic institutions that are complicit in occupation and genocide." Although the university intervened appropriately to ensure viewpoint-neutral access to student funds, it went further by suspending the LSA’s unrelated, non-funding activities — an action that restricted the group’s own expressive rights. Around the same time, an off-campus advocacy group launched a petition urging the university to discipline the LSA, though it's unclear what influence, if any, the petition had on administrative decision-making. The administration’s response, though partly corrective, ultimately veered into punitive territory, raising concerns about disproportionate sanctioning of student political expression. | -1.0 | Read More |
Deplatformings
| Year | School | Target | Controversy Explanation | Score Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | University of California, Davis | Charlie Kirk | Students and off-campus groups protested Kirk's talk because of his right-wing views. Protesters banged on doors, smashed windows, blocked entrances, and used pepper spray in an attempt to keep people from attending the event. One police officer was injured and several protesters were arrested. The event continued without further disruption. | -2.0 | Read More |
Support the Fight for Free Speech
When you give to FIRE, you join a movement dedicated to restoring free speech as both a legal right and a cultural value celebrated by Americans everywhere. Donations are 100% tax-deductible. Please join us in this important work with a gift today!
More Student Voices
There are many times when people speak up against Jewish people and Israel, I am a Jewish person and it hurts me to say I cannot defend myself without people bashing me
Survey Results
Survey Results: Student Perspectives
See how students at University of California, Davis perceive free speech on their campus. This section breaks down survey responses to key questions, providing insights into overall trends as well as demographic differences in how students experience free expression.
Reach out to FIRE
Have a question or want to share your feedback? We'd love to hear from you! Use the button below to contact us.
See Your School's Ranking
The College Free Speech Rankings are based on student surveys, campus policies, and recent speech-related controversies.
FIRE Fights for Your Rights
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression defends and sustains the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.
