Nearly one-third of American college students say using violence can be an acceptable way to stop someone with opposing political views from speaking on campus, according to a sweeping new survey examining the state of free speech at the nation's universities.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) surveyed 63,000 students across 262 schools for its annual college free-speech rankings and found that 30% considered violence against a campus speaker acceptable in at least some circumstances.

That figure is down from 34% last year, but the results still show significant support for using force to shut down speech, coming one year after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

Support for Political Violence Remains Widespread

FIRE asked students: "How acceptable would you say it is for students to engage in the following actions to protest a campus speaker? Using violence to stop a campus speech."

Students could answer "always acceptable," "sometimes acceptable," "rarely acceptable," or "never acceptable."

Three percent said violence was "always acceptable," while another 12% said it was "sometimes acceptable."

Another 15% selected "rarely acceptable," bringing the total willing to endorse political violence under at least some circumstances to 30%.

The wording leaves some ambiguity surrounding students who selected "rarely acceptable," since some respondents may have interpreted that answer as effectively expressing opposition to violence.

There is considerably less ambiguity surrounding the 15% who explicitly said violence was either always or sometimes justified.

The findings take on added significance one year after Kirk was assassinated.

It underscores the consequences of political hostility spilling beyond debate and into violence.

Majority Say Shouting Down Speakers Is Acceptable

Students were even more willing to endorse disrupting speakers without physical violence.

FIRE found that 69% said shouting down a campus speaker was acceptable in at least rare circumstances.

Five percent considered shouting down speakers "always acceptable," while 30% said it was "sometimes acceptable."

The remaining respondents within the 69% selected "rarely acceptable," again leaving some uncertainty about how strongly they actually supported the tactic.

The results nevertheless point to a campus culture in which substantial numbers of students believe preventing someone else from being heard can be a legitimate response to political disagreement.

Students Struggle to Discuss Trump

The survey also examined which political subjects students find difficult to discuss openly.

President Donald Trump was among the subjects students identified as difficult to talk about on campus, along with the Israel-Hamas conflict.

When students were asked whether it was difficult "to have an open and honest conversation on your campus," respondents were evenly divided between "yes" and "no."

FIRE ranked the University of Chicago as the nation's best university for free speech.

The university has nevertheless repeatedly rejected attempts to establish a Turning Point USA chapter on campus.

The school previously determined that the proposed organization was too similar to the College Republicans.

Liberal Students More Likely to Oppose Pro-Life Speaker

The survey also revealed sharp ideological divisions over whether universities should permit speakers advocating controversial political positions.

A majority of respondents said campuses should not allow a speaker who argues that abortion should be illegal.

Among students identifying as "very liberal," 72% said such a speaker should not or "probably should not" be permitted to speak.

Even 26% of students identifying as "very conservative" said they would oppose allowing a speaker advocating that abortion be illegal.

Taken together, the results show that while outright support for political violence has declined from last year, a substantial portion of America's college students still believe silencing political opponents, through disruption or even physical force, can be justified.

And one year after Kirk's assassination, 15% of students explicitly saying violence is either "always" or "sometimes" acceptable to stop a campus speech remains a striking measure of the hostility toward free expression inside American higher education.