30% of college students say violence acceptable way to stop speakers on campuses, survey finds

A recent national survey reveals that while fewer college students are willing to use violence to silence a controversial speaker, a significant minority still condone it as a form of protest.

According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), 30% of undergraduates nationwide believe using violence to stop a speaker is acceptable. Breaking that figure down, 3% said it is always acceptable, 12% said it is sometimes acceptable, and 16% said it is rarely acceptable. In contrast, 70% of students surveyed maintain that violence is never an acceptable means to oppose a speaker.

The data, drawn from the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings report, points to a shifting national trend. The percentage of students accepting violence has declined from 34% in 2025, yet it remains a full 10 points higher than it was four years ago. Similarly, 69% of students say shouting down a speaker is acceptable, which is a three-point drop from last year but a seven-point increase from four years prior. The findings are based on surveys of 62,997 undergraduates enrolled in four-year degree programs at 262 colleges and universities.

FIRE Data Analyst Chapin Lenthall-Cleary noted a significant political shift in the acceptance of campus violence over the years. "Back in the early 2020s, liberal students were about twice as accepting of violence as conservative students," he stated, explaining that there has since been a dramatic rise among conservative and moderate students, especially male students. "Now, liberal and conservative students are roughly equally accepting of violence."

Analysts suggest that the recent decline in violent acceptance may be directly tied to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Kirk was killed on September 10, 2025, during a debate with students at Utah Valley University (UVU). "It's possible that students who once believed violence was an acceptable way to stop a campus speech changed their minds after witnessing Charlie Kirk get brutally assassinated for speaking his mind on a campus," Lenthall-Cleary added. FIRE noted that Kirk's death had a lasting effect, both negative and positive, on free speech at UVU.

Regarding the broader climate of campus expression, Lenthall-Cleary expressed cautious optimism but highlighted an ongoing deterrent to free speech. "We're pleased that the percentage of students who find it acceptable to answer speech with violence has decreased. But so long as students and outside speakers believe that voicing disagreement or sharing controversial views could get them hurt, speech will remain chilled on campuses."

In addition to tracking attitudes, the 2027 rankings assessed institutions based on their commitment to free speech and expression. The top five schools for free speech are the University of Chicago, Claremont McKenna College, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan Technological University, and Vanderbilt University.