How Free Are U.S. Universities to Run Themselves?

American universities scored 1.7 on a 0-to-4 scale for academic freedom in 2025, down from 3.3 in 2019. The score, like a report card, measures how schools can make their own decisions without outside pressure. The figures come from a perspective study in Energy Research & Social Science on pressures facing universities, pointing to the need to watch governance safeguards.