U.S. Academic Freedom Score Fell to 1.7 in 2025 From 3.3 in 2019

The United States scored 1.7 on the Academic Freedom Index in 2025, down from 3.3 in 2019, on a 0-to-4 scale measuring institutional autonomy. The figures appear in a perspective study in Energy Research & Social Science examining pressures on universities. Such a drop invites close attention to governance safeguards.