A new study ranks Oregon State University as one of the top four universities in America for promoting free speech.
The study was conducted by research and analytics firm College Pulse and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a non-profit which claims to defend free speech and free thought.
Out of 254 campuses surveyed this year, OSU finished fourth on the list of colleges that promote and protect the free exchange of ideas. These could include comfort expressing ideas, tolerance of controversial speakers and whether there are attempts to sanction scholars.
OSU was one of just four schools that was given a ranking of “Good” in terms of what the study calls “Speech Climate.”
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The three schools finishing ahead of OSU were Michigan Technological University, Auburn University and the University of New Hampshire.
The University of Oregon finished No. 143, receiving a Speech Climate rating of “Slightly below Average.”
Portland State University finished at No. 232 with a Speech Climate rating of “Poor.”
OSU has been ranked on the list each year since 2021, finishing with an average ranking of 9th.
Washington State University was No. 151 and the University of Washington was No. 178.
Harvard University finished dead last of the 254 schools that were surveyed, receiving a Speech Climate rating of “Abysmal.”
All but 22 of the schools that were surveyed had a predominantly liberal student body, the study found.
The five topics that students said would be most difficult to have an open and honest conversation about on campus were abortion, gun control, transgender rights, racial inequality and religion.
You can see the full report at this link.
