How to Choose a College
Reliable Metrics for Predicting Campus Discourse and Making Friends in College
For the past several months I’ve been studying the situation in higher education, trying to answer the question, “Where would I go to college?” I’d like to share my findings with you in a series of posts. In this first post, I’ll share the best information from FIRE’s College Free Speech Rankings.
There are three important points to make about FIRE’s rankings.
FIRE’s overall ranking metric is only moderately helpful in selecting a college. Think of it as a fine-tuning variable.
Students are self-censoring equally at all college campuses.
FIRE’s best metric is “viewpoint ratio”—a number representing the viewpoint bias—also referred to as viewpoint diversity—of the student body.
Along with basic factors such as average SAT score, location, major, family, and cost, consider including the viewpoint ratio in your college decision making process. The viewpoint ratio will help you find a cultural fit for college.
Now let’s dive into some details.
On page 13 of their 2024 College Free Speech Rankings report, FIRE authors write
When it comes to students’ comfort expressing their views, the differences between schools in the top five and schools in the bottom five are mostly negligible. The two exceptions are the percentage of students who reported feeling comfortable expressing their views on a controversial political topic in class (43% at the bottom five schools; 39% at the top five schools) and the percentage of students who reported feeling comfortable doing so in a common campus space (50% at the bottom five schools; 44% at the top five schools).
Thus, students are self-censoring pretty much equally on all campuses—no matter the FIRE ranking. This doesn’t mean the overall ranking is useless, but attending their #1-ranked school isn’t going to be a free-speech paradise, and maybe not much better than their last place finisher. How can we know? The overall ranking confounds a number of variables which may or may not be important to you. For example
How often will you be attending speaking events with controversial speakers? Once a year maybe.
Are you an engineering major? If so, the number of de-platforming incidents might be less important to you.
These variables and a few others play big into the overall ranking. Overall free speech ranking may not be a reliable predictor of discourse in your classroom or residential living environment. Read FIRE’s report for more details. My recommendation is to use the overall ranking to narrow down your shortlist prior to visiting schools.
What I want is a metric for
Predicting discourse on campus;
And for meeting likeminded friends.
I believe the best predictor of campus discourse is FIRE’s viewpoint ratio, i.e. the ratio of progressive-to-conservative students, or the ratio of conservative-to-progressive students, depending on which is the dominant viewpoint.
FIRE provides the viewpoint ratio—along with the dominant viewpoint (liberal or conservative)—for each college in their ranking. Unfortunately, FIRE doesn’t provide an easy-to-use spreadsheet that allows one to sort by viewpoint ratio. I do. See below.
Here’s how to think about the viewpoint ratio; it provides you with you an intuitive feel of the political bias you’re likely to experience on campus. For example, in a typical discussion section made up of 30 students, or in a typical dormitory of 30 students, there will be how many progressive students if the viewpoint ratio is 2:1 with a progressive dominant viewpoint?
A ratio of 2:1, means there will be 1 conservative student for every 3 students; or 8 conservative students for every 24 students; or 16 conservative students for every 48 students. So rounding off—count on approximately 10 conservatives in a group of 30 students. If you’re a conservative or libertarian student, this should give you a decent chance of finding likeminded friends and not being too greatly outnumbered by progressives in classroom discussion. Agree?
One might prefer a viewpoint ratio near 1:1, but there are only a few schools that have both an average SAT score greater than 1400 and viewpoint ratio better than 1.3:1 (that is between 1:1 and 1.3:1). Here are three schools that do.
Notre Dame.
Stevens Institute of Technology.
Washington and Lee.
If you don’t like those schools or didn’t get in, here are three schools with average SAT scores higher than 1300 and viewpoint ratios better than 1.3:1
Clemson
Creighton
Colorado School of Mines.
In order to expand my options even more, I include schools with lower SAT scores and worse viewpoint ratios. Below are schools with viewpoint ratios better than 2:1. (The six schools above are included in the table below). A negative viewpoint ratio means there are more conservative students than progressive.
This table should format correctly on a desktop computer, but probably won’t on a mobile device. If you’re viewing on a mobile device, see my mobile-device formatted post here.
Name Viewpoint Ratio Average SAT
Oklahoma State -1.43 1150
Kansas State University -1.35 Not Published
U. of Tennessee Knoxville -1.32 1255
Arkansas State -1.32 1115
Iowa State -1.29 1206.5
North Dakota State -1.24 1204.5
Notre Dame -1.22 1480
Ole Mississippi -1.22 1125
University of Idaho -1.22 1105
Auburn -1.20 1260
Utah State University -1.18 1285
Clemson -1.11 1320
University of Kentucky -1.10 1206.5
Creighton University -1.09 1314
Montana State University -1.07 1185
South Carolina 1.00 1280
University of Toledo 1.00 1170
University of Arkansas 1.02 1125
Texas A & M 1.03 1260
Stevens Institute of Technology 1.05 1445
Michigan Technological University 1.08 1240
Texas Tech 1.08 1195
Boise State 1.09 1090
Mississippi State 1.14 1155
Washington and Lee 1.18 1470
Florida State University 1.19 1260
West Virginia University 1.19 1130
Appalachian State University 1.25 1185
Colorado School of Mines 1.26 1390
University of Wyoming 1.26 1172.5
University of Dayton 1.36 1255
LSU 1.40 1225
Wright State University 1.44 1039.5
University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire 1.46 1205
Oklahoma, University of 1.47 1245
Missouri State University 1.47 1105
Lehigh University 1.48 1415
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 1.49 1270
IU 1.58 1270
East Carolina University 1.58 1140
Florida Int University 1.59 1150
Purdue 1.60 1310
South Methodist University 1.61 1425
University of Nebraska Lincoln 1.63 1205
Miami University 1.65 1265
New Mexico State 1.65 1030
Duquesne University 1.67 1245
Franklin and Marshall College 1.69 1370
New Jersey Institute of Technology 1.71 1320
James Madison University 1.72 1230
University of Southern Florida 1.73 1240
DePauw 1.75 1290
University of Rhode Island 1.76 1174
S. Illinois University, Carbondale 1.76 1020
Indiana Uni. - Purdue University 1.81 1150
Eastern Kentucky University 1.83 1062.5
Illinois State 1.85 1100
Mizzou, U. of Missouri, Columbia 1.86 1240
BGSU 1.86 1115
University of Tulsa 1.87 1220
Furman University 1.88 1352.5
College of Charleston 1.89 1185
Bucknell (Pennsyl) 1.90 1310
Northern Arizona University 1.91 1164
Boston College 1.92 1475
University of Missouri, St Louis 1.94 1125
S. Illinois University, Edwardsville 1.94 1045
University of Missouri, Kansas City 1.97 1397.5
Marquette University 1.97 1265
A negative viewpoint ratio means there are more conservative students than progressive. Notice in the above list that there are only 14 schools with a dominant conservative viewpoint (not including FIRE’s Warning schools).
The six colleges that FIRE has labeled with a Warning are
Name Viewpoint Ratio Average SAT
Liberty University -20.00 1090
Hillsdale -12.00 1425
BYU -1.54 1330
SLU -1.41 1265
Baylor 2.76 1255
Pepperdine 2.77 1350
Notice that 4 out of 6 of the Warning schools have a conservative dominant viewpoint ratios. Why are these given a Warning? See their “statements of faith” and see FIRE’s report.
If the schools listed thus far don’t appeal to you, here are those with viewpoint ratios from 2:1 up to 3:1. This gives us another 15 schools with SAT score greater than 1300 to choose from. You can find these in the table below.
Name Viewpoint Ratio Average SAT
Georgia 2.00 1360
Ohio State 2.01 1345
University of Maine 2.04 1175
Central Michigan 2.04 1100
University of Memphis 2.04 1080
Penn State 2.05 1300
University of Cincinnati 2.06 1250
Colorado State 2.07 1185
Rensselaer Poly 2.12 1440
Washington State 2.14 1130
Utah University 2.15 1285
Umiami 2.19 1380
Illinois Institute of Technology 2.22 1315
Michigan State University 2.23 1210
University of Central Florida 2.26 1260
U. of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) 2.30 985
Eastern Michigan University 2.31 1055
University of New Mexico 2.32 1140
CalPoly San Luis 2.35 1355
U. of Florida (Gainesville) 2.36 1385
Oregon State 2.40 1240
UNH 2.41 1205
University of Hawaii at Manoa 2.42 1180
CSU LA 2.48 Not Published
University of Delaware 2.50 1260
Amherst 2.50 Not Published
University of Kansas 2.52 1210
Western Michigan 2.53 1110
UT Dallas 2.55 1300
Wake Forest 2.58 1425
Texas State University 2.59 1080
Georgia Tech 2.60 1460
Rowan 2.60 1175
U. of N. Carolina at Charlotte 2.63 1220
Alabama (Uni.), Huntsville 2.71 1220
Arizona State 2.72 1250
Clarkson University 2.73 1280
University of Buffalo 2.74 1285
University of Arizona 2.75 1245
Baylor 2.76 1255
Pepperdine 2.77 1350
UNT 2.85 1125
Virginia Commonwealth Uni. 2.90 1160
University of Alaska 2.92 1140
Carnegie Mellon 2.94 1520
Wayne State University 2.94 1110
U. of Wisconsin Madison 2.95 1430
University of Louisville 2.96 1160
Case Western 2.97 1475
And here are the remaining schools on FIRE’s list. Note the very biased viewpoint ratios at some of these schools. Buyer beware! Or maybe you’re into bias?
Name Viewpoint Ratio Average SAT
Berea College 3.02 1217
Boston University 3.03 1425
University of Houston 3.06 1235
USC 3.08 1500
University of Nevada Reno 3.15 1165
Kent State 3.16 1105
University of Colorado, Denver 3.19 1145
U. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 3.19 Not Published
CalTech 3.20 1555
U. of Maryland College Park 3.22 1440
U. of Illinois at Urbana Chmpn 3.24 1435
Towson (Maryland) 3.25 1130
Cornell 3.27 1520
Rutgers 3.27 1355
Trinity College 3.29 1385
Carleton College 3.30 1490
U. of Texas, San Antonia 3.30 1115
CSU Fresno 3.30 990
Harvard 3.32 1535
Conn College 3.32 1425
Duke 3.34 1530
Virgina Tech 3.34 1310
George Mason 3.38 1245
Ohio University 3.39 1180
University of Iowa 3.41 1240
U. of Alabama at Birmingham 3.42 1280.5
CU Boulder 3.43 1275
Chapman University 3.49 1300
Washington U. in Saint Louis 3.52 1535
NC State 3.53 1355
Davidson 3.63 1425
UNLV 3.68 1095
Stony Brook 3.71 1410
SJSU 3.78 1220
UCLA 3.79 Not Published
University of Michigan 3.83 1440
Georgetown 3.89 1475
U. Of Chicago 3.92 1545
DePaul (Illinois) 3.92 1190
Portland State 3.93 1185
Montclair 3.94 1110
UT Austin 3.97 1365
Oregon University of 3.97 1255
Lafayette College 4.00 1405
UC Irvine 4.00 1332.5
Yale 4.03 1540
Temple (Philly) 4.03 1445
Fordham 4.05 1400
Northeastern 4.11 1490
U. of N. Carolina Chapel Hill 4.14 1440
Virgina 4.15 1460
U of Texas, Arlington 4.16 1120
Rice 4.22 1530
MIT 4.29 1545
UC Merced 4.31 Not Published
University of Pittsburgh 4.41 1375
Dartmouth 4.42 1540
Colby 4.43 1485
Brandeis 4.43 1430
University of Minnesota 4.43 1400
Gettysburg College 4.43 1355
Binghampton 4.50 1390
Denison University 4.58 1365
UNC, Greensboro 4.74 1177.5
Umass Amherst 4.81 1370
SUNY at Albany 4.83 1220
U of Illinois Chicago 4.85 1225
UCSD 4.87 Not Published
Bates College 4.89 1407.5
Claremont McKenna 4.95 1475
UC Berkeley 4.95 Not Published
San Diego State 4.97 Not Published
University of Washington 5.10 1410
Syracuse 5.14 1310
UConn 5.18 1330
Worcester Polytechnic Inst. 5.31 Not Published
Stanford 5.45 1520
William and Mary 5.45 1447.5
Northwestern 5.50 1530
Drexel 5.52 1330
Columbia 5.56 1520
Georgia State 5.62 1065
UC Riverside 5.72 Not Published
Vanderbilt 5.73 1525
UC Davis 5.86 1270
U. of California Santa Barbara 5.91 Not Published
UC Santa Cruz 5.94 Not Published
Princeton 6.19 1515
Bard College 6.28 Not Published
New York University 6.29 1520
Hamilton College 6.38 1480
Tulane 6.40 1440
Santa Clara 6.50 1380
Tufts 6.55 1500
Colgate 7.00 1470
Kenyon College 7.00 1445
Wheaton College 7.13 1340
GW 7.15 1410
Harvey Mudd 7.20 1520
Wesleyan University 7.27 1495
Middlebury College 7.71 1475
University of Pennsylvania 7.74 1535
University of San Francisco 8.00 1310
SUNY College at Genesco 8.00 1240
Bowdoin 8.16 1510
Colorado College 8.31 Not Published
Emory 8.56 1490
Vermont 8.59 1345
Mt Holyoke 8.71 1445
Brown 8.72 1535
Clark University 9.05 1340
Pitzer 9.14 Not Published
Pomona 9.18 1520
Loyola University, Chicago 9.63 1280
University of Denver 9.71 1295
Vassar 9.75 1482.5
Williams 9.77 1525
Swarthmore College 10.09 1500
Barnard 10.57 1495
Knox 11.50 1279.5
Johns Hopkins 13.20 1545
Haverford 13.40 1485
Wellesley 13.89 1490
Howard 14.00 1170
Skidmore 15.29 1380
Rochester, University of 15.50 Not Published
Macalester College 16.25 1445
Oberlin 21.75 1445
Scripps 24.00 1450
Grinnell College 24.67 1455
Occidental College 36.50 1435
Smith 55.00 1445
With these lists I have a reliable method for selecting colleges with high average SAT scores and desirable viewpoint ratios. Next I can consider location, major, family and cost. This should give me a shortlist. After I have my shortlist, I’ll check FIRE’s overall ranking to make sure I’m not making a bad decision attending a school with a very low overall ranking. I might want to attend a controversial speaking event after all. Notice that some colleges have signed a “Free Speech Pledge”. This boosts their overall free speech ranking. Will that make much of a difference if the viewpoint ratio is 4:1? Maybe. It might be a risk worth taking
Almost done? Not so fast. Next time, I’ll tell you the bad news about higher education.
If you like this post, consider sharing and subscribing. It’s free.