The ranking is based on student responses, of which Georgia Tech had 284 for this year’s ranking. Final rankings are a composite of 13 areas, six of which assess student perceptions of freedom of speech on campus. 

Tech also recently received a green light in FIRE’s Spotlight Rankings. The green light indicates that an institution maintains no policies that seriously threaten free speech.

The rise in Tech’s FIRE ranking coincides with an effort to bolster freedom of expression on campus. President Ángel Cabrera addressed this need during his recent Institute Address on Aug. 31.

“We must protect freedom of expression for every member of our community,” he said. “We need to create a space where we are routinely exposed to new and different ideas, where we protect each other’s right to express our views, and where we cherish the practice of listening to one another with curiosity and respect.”

Georgia Tech ranked particularly high in Admin Support, which measures a student’s perception of their college’s support for free speech. Read more about the FIRE ranking methodology.