MRC Report: Freedom of expression at universities

Data reveals scale of student self-censorship on campus

Published: June 2026

University students should feel free to ask questions, challenge existing viewpoints and critically interrogate the world around them.

Yet Australian campuses have a problem with freedom of expression.

At every single public university in Australia, at least 1 in 5 domestic undergraduates and 1 in 4 domestic postgraduate students do not feel free to express their views.

The figures come from the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) Student Experience Survey, the government’s annual survey of current higher education students. Our report is the first ever public disclosure of institution-level results for student freedom of expression.

Overall, 28.3% of domestic undergraduate students do not feel free to express their views on campus. Among domestic postgraduate students, the situation is even worse, with 32.5% not feeling free.