The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) released their 2026 Free Speech Rankings, a report on speech climates on college and university campuses nationwide, on Sept. 9. Four of the five Claremont Colleges’ undergraduate institutions received an “F”, while Claremont McKenna earned a “B-”, taking first place out of the 257 colleges surveyed.
Within the consortium, Harvey Mudd College came out on top of the “F” range with a score of 54.6, placing 193rd; 95 Mudd students were surveyed. Pomona College fell last at 247th, scoring 49.1; 144 Pomona students were surveyed. Scripps and Pitzer Colleges were ranked 209th and 218th, respectively.
Despite only scoring a 79.9, CMC led in the rankings; the college also placed first in 2021, the only institution to do so twice.
The report was developed using 68,510 total student respondents across the country, surveyed via the College Pulse mobile app and web portal from Jan. 3 through June 5, 2025.
“The average overall score (58.63) is a failing grade in a college course,” the report noted in its key findings. “Overall, 166 of the 257 schools surveyed got an F for their speech climate, while only 11 schools received a speech climate grade of C or higher.”
“ The average overall score (58.63) is a failing grade in a college course.” ”
The survey was divided into seven main components, from “Tolerance for Controversial Conservative Speakers” to “Administrative Support.” Questions included asking students how comfortable they felt expressing views or disagreements in various contexts, from class discussions to social media posts, and how clear it was to them that their college administrators protect free speech on campus.
According to the report, CMC stood out based on these criteria, in part because it is one of a small percentage of institutions to officially adopt the “Chicago Principles.” These institutional principles are used to convey a commitment to free speech. Furthermore, 66 percent of CMC students surveyed said that it is “very” or “extremely” clear that the administration protects free speech.
In addition to their annual reports compiled using these components, FIRE also maintains their “Spotlight Database,” an ongoing speech code rating system attributing “red,” “yellow” and “green” lights to institutions of higher education based on their speech climates. CMC, again, stands out among the Claremont Colleges in receiving a green light — the other four campuses received a yellow light.
To arrive at these classifications, FIRE gives ratings to individual policies and then assesses the college as a whole. Some policies are shared by all Claremont Colleges, such as the 7C policy on demonstrations (which received a green light) or the poster and banner approval policy (which received a yellow light).
The various Claremont Colleges have also, over time, developed their own policies in addition to the standardized, consortium-wide ones. For example, Scripps’ “Bias Incidents and Hate Crimes” policy received a yellow light, as did Harvey Mudd’s “Bullying and Cyber-bullying policy.”
Of the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges, only Scripps responded to TSL’s request for comment.
“Scripps continues to rigorously adhere to the tenets of academic freedom and our community’s rights to express their views,” Senior Communications Manager Emily Peters wrote in email correspondence with TSL. “This is essential to sustaining an environment where students, faculty, and staff can grow and learn from each other.”
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