MTSU Ranks 13th for Free Speech, No. 6 Public School in the South

Middle Tennessee State University ranked 13th of 261 schools in FIRE's seventh annual College Free Speech Rankings and tied for No. 6 among Top Public Schools in the South in U.S. News & World Report's 2027 Best Colleges list.

Middle Tennessee State University has landed two sets of national rankings this month. MTSU placed 13th out of 261 colleges and universities in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's seventh annual College Free Speech Rankings, and it tied with Louisiana Tech University for No. 6 among Top Public Schools in the South in U.S. News & World Report's 2027 list of the nation's best colleges.

MTSU News announced the U.S. News rankings on Oct. 6, 2026, and the free speech ranking on Oct. 9, 2026.

Where does MTSU rank for free speech?

MTSU ranked 13th out of 261 schools in FIRE's College Free Speech Rankings, according to MTSU News. That is up two spots from the university's ranking the year before.

MTSU News also reported that MTSU was one of only 24 schools to receive a speech climate grade of C or higher, while 121 schools received failing grades. FIRE's own report confirms that 121 schools received an F and just 24 received a C or better this year.

Ken Paulson, director of MTSU's Free Speech Center, called the placement "very encouraging" and said FIRE's process is diligent.

What are the FIRE College Free Speech Rankings?

FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, is a nonprofit organization focused on free speech and free thought. It launched the College Free Speech Rankings in 2020 and produces them with College Pulse, an online survey and data analytics company.

FIRE's report for this cycle, titled the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings, says:

• Students in four-year degree programs were surveyed from Jan. 2 through June 3, 2026.
• The survey drew 62,997 student respondents.
• The University of Chicago ranks first, followed by Claremont McKenna College, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan Technological University and Vanderbilt University.
• The average overall score, 61.36, is the highest recorded in seven years, though it still corresponds to a Don the report's grading scale.

According to MTSU News, the rankings combine the student survey with an analysis of written policies on student expression and a record of campus speech controversies.

Why did MTSU rank so high for free speech?

Paulson pointed to several decades of work at the university, according to MTSU News:

• The John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies, created in 1986 in honor of the longtime Tennessean editor and publisher.
• The Free Speech Center, which Paulson established in 2019 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy center focused on the five freedoms of the First Amendment.
• University policies, including the adoption of the Chicago Principles and institutional neutrality. Paulson said both factored heavily into FIRE's ranking.

Paulson explained that institutional neutrality means university leaders do not issue political statements on behalf of the campus community as a whole, because statements from the top can have a chilling effect on speech. MTSU also has an active chapter of the American Democracy Project.

How did MTSU rank in U.S. News & World Report for 2027?

In its regional rankings for the South, U.S. News & World Report placed MTSU:

• No. 6 in Top Public Schools (tied with Louisiana Tech University)
• No. 6 for Best Colleges for Veterans, which MTSU credits to the work of its Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center
• No. 14 for Best Value for In-State Students
• No. 16 for Regional Universities (public and private)
• No. 41 for Social Mobility
• No. 54 for Best Value Schools

In national program categories, which MTSU says evaluate roughly 1,500 institutions, U.S. News ranked MTSU:

• No. 106 for Undergraduate Engineering (Non-Doctorate), for programs in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences
• No. 230 for Undergraduate Business, for programs in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business
• No. 288 for Undergraduate Nursing, for programs in the School of Nursing
• No. 350 for Undergraduate Computer Science
• Among the best for Undergraduate Psychology, with no ranking number given

"This recognition from U.S. News & World Report underscores the hard work and dedication by our faculty and staff in providing quality and affordable higher education that changes the trajectory of our students for the better," MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said.

Which schools joined MTSU in the top 10 public schools in the South?

U.S. News' Top Public Schools in the South list, as published by MTSU News:

• No. 1: The Citadel
• No. 2: Appalachian State University
• No. 3: College of Charleston
• No. 4 (tie): Georgia College and State University and Western Carolina University
• No. 6 (tie): MTSU and Louisiana Tech University
• No. 8 (tie): Radford University and University of West Florida
• No. 10: Florida Gulf Coast University

More MTSU news around Murfreesboro

The rankings come as the university looks for its next leader; read the latest on the MTSU presidential search. Recent campus stories include the MTSU IBM cyber range at the Miller Education Center and MTSU Homecoming 2026. For an overview of the campus and its role in the city, see OnlyInMurfreesboro's MTSU guide, and for game days, the MTSU football guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did MTSU rank in the FIRE free speech rankings?

MTSU ranked 13th out of 261 colleges and universities in FIRE's seventh annual College Free Speech Rankings, up two spots from the previous year.

What grade did MTSU get for its speech climate?

MTSU News says MTSU was one of only 24 schools to receive a speech climate grade of C or higher in this year's FIRE rankings.

Where does MTSU rank in U.S. News & World Report?

In U.S. News & World Report's 2027 Best Colleges list, MTSU tied with Louisiana Tech University for No. 6 among Top Public Schools in the South and ranked No. 16 among Regional Universities in the South.

Is MTSU ranked for veterans?

Yes. U.S. News ranked MTSU No. 6 for Best Colleges for Veterans in the South. MTSU credits the work of its Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center.

What is MTSU's Free Speech Center?

The Free Speech Center, established in 2019 and directed by Ken Paulson, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit public policy center at MTSU that works to build understanding of the five freedoms of the First Amendment. More information is at firstamendment.mtsu.edu.

Sources: MTSU News: MTSU ranked among top schools in nation for free speech climate, MTSU News: MTSU lands multiple national, regional rankings by U.S. News & World Report for 2027, FIRE: 2027 College Free Speech Rankings.

*Photo: The Applied Engineering Building at MTSU. MTSU file photo by J. Intintoli.*