DURHAM, N.H.—The University of New Hampshire is third in the nation for free speech based on a new national report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and College Pulse that ranked the free speech climate of 248 of America’s most prestigious colleges and universities. This 2024 report marks the second time in three years UNH has finished number three in the FIRE rankings.

“Free speech is one of the most fundamental American constitutional rights,” said UNH President James W. Dean Jr. “As a public university, UNH protects and promotes this value by ensuring our students can be exposed to new and different ideas that will hopefully inspire growth and intellectual curiosity. This new report from FIRE validates the work we have done and will continue to do to foster an environment where free speech can flourish.”

FIRE is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought—the most essential qualities of liberty. The 2024 College Free Speech Rankings survey is a comprehensive comparison of the student experience of free speech on their campuses. These rankings are based on the voices of over 55,000 currently enrolled students at 254 colleges and looked at such criteria as comfort expressing ideas, tolerance for liberal or conservative speakers and openness.

The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation and world. More than 16,000 students from all 49 states and 82 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. A Carnegie Classification R1 institution, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and received over $210 million in competitive external funding in FY23 to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.