U.S. Academic Freedom Rating Drops Sharply Since 2019

The United States fell to 1.7 on the Academic Freedom Index in 2025 from 3.3 in 2019. The index runs 0 to 4 and tracks institutional autonomy — how free universities are to govern themselves. The numbers come from a perspective study in Energy Research & Social Science on pressures facing universities, a decline that puts governance protections in focus.