Despite the loud and pervasive national rhetoric that college campuses are ideological battlegrounds where free speech is stifled, most students say their experience is much different.
A new Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2025 State of Higher Education Study tells a quieter, more powerful story: Campuses aren’t crumbling under cultural conflict. They function as places where students feel safe, respected, and empowered to speak their minds—regardless of political beliefs, race, or gender.
That’s encouraging context we often miss.
The data show that the overwhelming majority of students currently enrolled in four-year degree programs believe their institutions are doing a good job promoting free speech. Roughly 75 percent of bachelor’s degree students—regardless of political affiliation—say their college or university does an “excellent” or “good” job in this area. That’s remarkable, given the cultural backdrop.
What’s even more compelling is that Republican, Democratic, and Independent students all report similar levels of confidence in their schools’ ability to uphold free expression. In a time of fractured and polarized national discourse, the campus appears to be a rare place where people from across the political spectrum feel free to speak their minds.
Most students also say they feel respected by both peers and faculty, 75 percent report being treated with respect by other students, and 82 percent say the same about their professors. This sense of mutual respect is an essential foundation for open discourse and intellectual growth.
Students feel accepted and valued, too: 70 percent say they feel like they belong at their institution, including similar proportions of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. That said, women report slightly lower rates of belonging than their male counterparts, and Black students are somewhat less likely to feel respected than White or Hispanic students, but the data still show substantial numbers of those who feel affirmed and included.
These findings directly contradict the dominant media narrative. National headlines zero in on flashpoints—campus protests, contentious speeches, and viral controversies—and extrapolate a universal crisis. But these high-profile moments, while important, are not the everyday reality for most students. The data show that students continue to have rich, thoughtful, and respectful experiences on campus even amid broader political upheaval.
This isn’t to say there’s no room for improvement. For example, students are somewhat less confident that they can express viewpoints related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and Black students report higher rates of harassment and discrimination than their peers. These are significant issues, and higher education leaders must continue to ensure all students feel safe, respected, and heard on campus.
However, we should not let isolated cases or highly visible moments skew our understanding of the broader landscape. In fact, one of the most telling findings is the disconnect between perception and personal experience. While only about half of students believe conservative viewpoints are generally welcome on campus, nearly 70 percent of Republican students say they feel free to express their own views. Similarly, 78 percent of Democratic students say the same about their ability to speak freely.
In other words, while students may believe others are being silenced, they generally don’t feel silenced themselves. That’s an important nuance and a reminder that the narratives we hear from media or national politicians don’t always reflect what students are actually experiencing in their day-to-day lives.
Today’s college campuses are dynamic, diverse spaces where the vast majority of students feel empowered, respected, and at home. Yes, they are grappling with challenging national issues. But they are also succeeding—quietly and steadily—at creating environments where open expression and belonging are not mutually exclusive, but mutually reinforcing.
We owe it to students—and to the future of higher education—to listen to their voices. If we did, we’d hear a story not of division and dysfunction, but of connection, courage, and community.
Let’s start telling that story.