Purdue and DePauw top Indiana schools for free speech; Notre Dame and IU lag

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression ranked 257 schools across the country, interviewing 68,000 students between January and June to learn the best colleges for free speech.

Four Indiana schools made the cut. Two schools are in the top 20 and two in the bottom 20. It’s a mixed bag and there are many reasons why.

In the top ranking: DePauw University at No. 18 and Purdue University at No. 2 for the best colleges for free speech.

Angela Erickson, vice president of research at the Philadelphia-based foundation, told News 8 on Tuesday, “They have policies that protect their speech on campus. They promote an environment in which they talk about free speech being important for learning and important for the student experience.”

While Purdue received a high rating, the foundation noted, the survey was conducted before the university decided to no longer help to circulate its independent student paper, the Exponent. Fire said that change will be included in Purdue’s score in 2026.

Notre Dame, ranked No. 238, and Indiana University, ranked No. 255, both scored an F.

Erickson said, “Even one egregious event that strikes down free speech can really have a lasting impact on students’ trust.”

In 2024, Indiana State Police confirmed snipers on rooftops overlooking Indiana University’s Dunn Meadow during a protest. “Students remember,” Erickson said. “A lot of the student comments we got from the survey this year reflected the sniper on the roof of the building during a protest they had.”

More than half of the schools surveyed got an F ranking.

In the survey, students also mentioned that the Israeli and Palestinian conflict was the hardest to discuss. “Not only are they (students) having a hard time speaking on campus, but they’re also having a hard time listening and letting others speak on campus,” Erickson said.

Erickson said students surveyed across political lines think violence is an acceptable alternative to peaceful protests and that these findings raise alarms across campuses.

Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner told News 8 on Tuesday that she hadn’t read the report yet, but thinks schools can always improve.

She said, “Across all of our college campuses, we should look at what we’re doing. We should reflect on what we’re doing and continue to improve.”